Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has moved to protect 16-year-old midfielder Max Dowman after the teenager was sent off in Tuesday night's shock penalty shootout exit to fourth-tier Fleetwood Town.

Dowman received a straight red card in the 85th minute for kicking out after a tackle, before Fleetwood held on to draw 1-1 and subsequently won the shootout 5-4.

The result dumped the Premier League joint-leaders out of the League Cup ahead of Sunday's league summit clash against Liverpool.