Mikel Arteta has defended his reaction to Max Dowman ’s red card against Fleetwood Town on Tuesday and warned the 16-year-old he is not in “Disneyland” following his controversial sending off.

Arteta appeared to be angry with the teenager as he made his way off the pitch following his red card. Dowman kicked out after a dangerous tackle from behind from Fleetwood’s Harrison Neal in the 85th minute of the shock defeat in the Carabao Cup.

Arteta has issued a warning to the 16-year-old Dowman (Getty)

Arteta said he had warned Dowman to be ready for heavy challenges from the League Two side and had urged him not to react to physical treatment.

But the manager was criticised in some quarters for his public admonishing of Dowman as he left the pitch and went down the tunnel, with former Arsenal player Paul Merson claiming that he would not have given a more senior player such a furious dressing down in the same circumstances.

“I haven’t seen the reaction to my reaction, whether that’s positive or negative,”…