Arteta didn’t see the reaction to the reaction but reacts to the reaction to the reaction Morning all, let’s do a bit of a Saturday round-up ahead of tomorrow’s game against Liverpool which we’ll cover in more detail then. First, Mikel Arteta responded to the appeal against Max Dowman’s red card, and said: We’re very disappointed, to be fair, especially with the reckless tackles that he receives – his reaction is minimal in relation to the action. We’re disappointed it hasn’t been overturned having watched it back. We’ve put every argument on the table to make a case for it – not only the action that is so evident, but when you look back in slow motion, the previous action and Max’s action is clear. Obviously, we have a very different opinion. I think you also have to look at the context of the player, the age and what happened previously. You already know what I think. Ultimately, there’s only one person who was in any danger of being hurt on that pitch on Tuesday evening, and it was Dowman himself. Arteta said: It could have been really bad, and we’re lucky today that he hasn’t had a broken foot – that’s clear. But as we’ve discussed this week, football’s attitudes to things like minor retaliation versus a ‘crunching’ tackle are a bit topsy-turvey, and Dowman is a victim of that. The fact they didn’t even reduce the ban, which there is definitely precedent for, suggests to me they have chosen to overlook what the replays show, and that’s quite disappointing. Still, it was interesting to hear Arteta reference Dowman’s age when referring to this, then a bit later on suggesting that if he’s going to play with the big boys, he’s not going to get any special treatment because of how young he is. There’s been discussion and debate about the manager giving the 16 year old a bit of an earful on the sideline as he went off, but in this instance he stood behind his ‘tough love’ approach. Referencing the fact Dowman had been sent off for England U19s a few weeks ago for something similar, and the conversation they’d had in the dressing room before they went out, he said: I haven’t seen the reaction to my reaction, whether it’s positive or negative. But you need to understand the context, the relationship that I have with him and what we discussed just before we went out. You want to see the reaction of his teammates? When they have to play with 10, you want to see that? This is the environment and this is the reality. Otherwise we are in Disneyland, we are not in Disneyland, we are in the Premier League at this level and we look after him so much that you cannot imagine. But at the same time we are going to demand of him, like to anybody else, because he needs to earn the right to play. Otherwise the rest of the boys, what are they going to tell me? You need to be fair. As I said yesterday, hopefully it’s a learning moment for Max, one he can carry forward for when he returns and beyond. Professional football is absolutely ruthless, there will be managers/players who will try and expose that youthful temperament again, and we know how they’ll do it. He’ll get kicked again, they’ll try and bully him again, but next time he’s got to remember that referees are more inclined to punish the guy who retaliates than the one who perpetrates the first offence. It’s upside down, of course, but that’s the environment in which we exist and one he’s got to get to grips with. I suspect that whatever your own view of Arteta’s reaction, that message will have been made loud and clear to Max Dowman this week. — Elsewhere, because this is very, very funny, Aston Villa say they’re going to take legal action against Jamie Carragher for some comments he made on a podcast. Via their official social media channels, they released a statement which said: Aston Villa will initiate legal action against Jamie Carragher for his unacceptable insults about the club and its fans. Aston Villa will not allow anyone to stop our ascension in English and European football. Nassef Sawiris, chairman. Apparently Carragher’s remarks were about Unai Emery potentially joining Man Utd, and pointing out that there is a kind of pecking order in terms of club stature. Which, regardless of the fact United are a mess right now, is unquestionably true in terms of the size of the fanbase, the history etc. Villa are a successful club with good history of their own, but United are – in this general context – a bigger club. Like Barcelona are bigger than Valencia, like Bayern Munich are bigger than Borussia Dortmund, like some side from the Isle of Man third division are bigger than Sp*rs. How thin skinned and pathetic do the people running Villa have to be to take exception to something Carragher said, to then ruminate on it, decide that legal action is the best course of action, and then make it public? Genuinely it’s hilarious and embarrassing. Also, I’d be quite happy for Emery to take over at United. He’s done a fantastic job at Villa, but as Arsenal fans we know he’s exactly the man you need to take over a club that’s something of a sleeping giant and a mess on and off the pitch. Emery in at Old Trafford all the way, in my opinion. They’d be facing that side from the Isle of Man third division in no time. Right, I’ll leave it there for this morning. Happy Halloween, I hope your little visitors aren’t too scary later on, and that your dogs don’t freak out with the fireworks too much. Till tomorrow. The post Arteta didn’t see the reaction to the reaction but reacts to the reaction to the reaction appeared first on Arseblog ... an Arsenal blog. https://arseblog.com/2026/10/arteta-didnt-see-the-reaction-to-the-reaction-but-reacts-to-the-reaction-to-the-reaction/ #dowman #maxdowman #mikelarteta #disneyland #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Dowman ban upheld, football’s rules need to change Morning. Let’s start again with Max Dowman whose three match ban was upheld after Arsenal’s appeal against the red card failed. The club had made the bid on the basis of wrongful dismissal and excessive punishment, but the claim was dismissed by an independent regulatory commission who will publish their ‘written reasons’ in due course. Thanks for that. You will already know I think this is too severe. I thought the sending off was harsh, especially with the video evidence that backed the appeal, and for a player to miss three games for what was such a minor reaction to a heavy challenge is really unfair. And I would say that if this were an Arsenal player or not. It’s another example of how we hear about the concept of player protection all the time, but the reality is there have been countless incidents which could have been used to demonstrate there’s a seriousness about that but it never, ever happens. How absurd is it that Max Dowman will serve the same ban as Ryan Shawcross got for snapping Aaron Ramsey’s leg in two? Remember when Dan Smith launched himself at Abou Diaby’s ankle, putting him out of the game for 9 months and causing an injury so severe it plagued the rest of the Frenchman’s career? He didn’t even get a red card that day, so the next time you see Dermot Gallagher pontificating on Sky about how a referee got an obviously wrong decision right, apply that context (he was the ref at the Stadium of Light that day). Football has a problem with actual violent conduct, but chooses to deal with it by trying to make us think performative infractions like Dowman’s are worthy of the same punishment as the acts of real violence. The dangerous tackles, the two-footed leaps (which seem to creeping back into the game a bit, probably because they’re not being punished), pushing an opposition player when they’re in the air, these things are not on the same scale. If what Dowman did is worthy of a three game ban, the next time someone goes studs first over the ball into the shins of their opponent, they should get ten games at least. But we know that’s not going to happen. Almost as long as this blog has been going (coming up on 25 years now!), I’ve made the case for there to be a sliding scale of punishment for acts that meet the definition of violent conduct. Some things are just more violent than others, but as long as this blanket punishment of three games regardless of the seriousness of the incident is in place, the more those in charge do the game and the players a disservice. Still, it is what it is now, and Arsenal will have to live without Dowman for the games against Liverpool, Hull City, and the away trip to Newcastle on the far side of the upcoming November Interlull. He could well have been involved at some point this weekend against Liverpool, but now we’re sweating on the fitness of Noni Madueke, with Eberechi Eze the only other option for the left hand side. There are some whispers that Christos Tzolis could be back in contention for Sunday, which would be a very welcome boost, but the forward line looks a bit light for a game of this significance. Tuesday’s game against Fleetwood will live in the memory because of the giant killing aspect, but for two young Academy players, it’s a night that will hopefully be formative. For Dowman, whether you think what he did was worthy of a red card or not, there’s a lesson to learn about how you react. To be quite honest, I think there’s something to like about the way he was prepared to stick up for himself against a grown man who wanted to ‘leave a bit on him’, as they say. The talented players are the ones who get kicked most though, and it’s something he’s going to have to contend with as his career develops. Just ask Bukayo Saka. The two have plenty of time on their hands right now, and I’m sure it will be part of his footballing education. The other player is Marli Salmon who probably should have done better on their goal, but for me is less culpable overall than some of the senior players who didn’t perform at the right level. Arsene Wenger once said: You pay for the education of young players with points. If I play a 20-year old centre back, I know he’ll cost me points during the season and I have to stand up for that. A less talented 28 year old would cost me less points. However, by 23/24 you have a player. Marli Salmon is 17. He didn’t cost us any points. There’s a long way still go in his development, but I’m sure with the coaching staff they’ll go over what happened against Fleetwood and he will learn from it. It is more difficult for young defenders than young attackers too. A mistake at the top end of the pitch, like Dowman scuffing a shot wide from a position he probably ought to score from, doesn’t feel quite as costly as a forward running off a young defender to score the opening goal of the game. But again, it’s all part of the process, every young player makes mistakes, it’s how you then use them to improve that counts, and I’m sure he’ll do that. Right, let’s leave it there for now. The Arsecast is below if you haven’t had a chance to listen yet, and a bit later on we’ll have a preview podcast for you over on Patreon once we’ve heard what Mikel Arteta has had to say at his press conference. Also, our Patreon members get the first chance to order our upcoming limited edition book The 22, that’s happening at 3pm today. If you fancy coming to the launch in London next Friday, there are still some spots left but you have to register here – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-22-the-launch-tickets-2003029364750 Until later, have a great Friday folks. The post Dowman ban upheld, football’s rules need to change appeared first on Arseblog ... an Arsenal blog. https://arseblog.com/2026/10/dowman-ban-upheld-footballs-rules-need-to-change/ #dowman #maxdowman #ban #football #arsenal #liverpool #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Episode 898 – Forward questions Welcome to another episode of the Arsecast – the original Arsenal podcast. In this episode I’m joined by Harry Symeou to discuss Arsenal’s midweek elimination from the Carabao Cup at the hands of League Two Fleetwood Town. We chat about the team selection, the goal we conceded, and the goal we scored before the conversation widens out into questions about the team’s attacking potency, in particular the roles of Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres, and whether the club need to be active in the January transfer window to bolster the forward line. We also chat about the red card issued to Max Dowman, the decision to appeal it, Mikel Arteta’s reaction on the sideline when the 16 year old trudged off the pitch, the penalty shoot-out, and lots more. Register to attend the launch of The 22 here – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-22-the-launch-tickets-2003029364750 Read more about The 22 here – https://arseblog.com/2026/10/arseblog-and-yuma-studios-present-the-22/ Get extra bonus content and help support Arseblog by becoming an Arseblog Member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arseblog Download the Arseblog app for iOS or Android iOS – https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/arseblog/id369606006 Android – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.milkbarstudios.arseblog If you are a regular listener via iTunes, if you would be so kind as to leave a review/rating that would be greatly appreciated. Download – iTunes – Spotify – Acast – RSS The post Episode 898 – Forward questions appeared first on Arseblog ... an Arsenal blog. https://arseblog.com/2026/10/episode-898-forward-questions/ #episode #questions #arseblog #fleetwoodtown #carabaocup #harrysymeou #leaguetwo #arsenal #viktorgyokeres #kaihavertz #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Arsenal right to appeal Dowman red Morning all. Let’s start with the news that Arsenal are set to appeal Max Dowman’s red card against Fleetwood on Tuesday evening. I think that’s probably the right thing to do, because had that gone to a VAR review, I think they’d have really struggled to make a compelling case that this was violent conduct. Was it a small retaliation? Yes. Did it meet the threshold for violent conduct? Not for me. As laid out in the rules of the game, it is defined thus: Violent conduct is when a player uses or attempts to use excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball, or against a team-mate, team official, match official, spectator or any other person, regardless of whether contact is made. So, on that basis I think Arsenal are right to appeal. They might cite other incidents to make their case. Perhaps the fact Cole Palmer received just a yellow card in Chelsea’s last game against Sp*rs for what was a much more violent action against Mateus Fernandes. Imagine if we even used one of our own players, demonstrating how Bruno Guimaraes was allowed to forearm smash Jorginho in the side of the head, but didn’t get sent off because he didn’t use his arm like a weapon (or something). Mikel Arteta is a man who, just last week, ‘joked’ he had a collection of images to show other managers outside their techincal area 36 times in ten minutes. If you don’t think he can’t dig up a few more examples of players getting away with violent conduct, you haven’t been paying attention. Whether it’s going to be sufficient to have the red card overturned is another thing, but at the very least we should see a reduction in what is, as it stands, a three match ban. I think the red was very, very, very harsh, but to miss three games because of that is absurd and unfair, so I think we’re right to appeal. Once again though, there’s a conversation to be had about the punishments for red cards, and how it’s kind of ridiculous that every act of violent conduct = a three game ban. Some acts are more violent than others, some really do endanger the safety of an opponent, and yet they’re all treated the same. It’s never made sense to me, and I don’t really understand how there isn’t a disciplinary panel that assesses each sending off and applies the ban after the fact based on the seriousness of the incident. Despite his frustration in the moment, I’m sure the manager’s view of Dowman’s behaviour might well have softened on watching the replays. In the heat of the moment part of it, I’m sure, is that we currently have Christos Tzolis and Bukayo Saka sidelined while Noni Madueke missed out on the midweek game to protect an ankle knock. So, we’re very light in the wide areas right now, and while the root cause of that might lie more at the door of the Sporting Director, he would have wanted Dowman available this weekend for the trip to Anfield. I still think Arteta’s reaction was poor, but football is a game of opinions. I’ve seen some suggest if Max is gonna play with the big boys, he’s got to be treated as an equal. Perhaps that’s fair enough, but I’ve never seen Arteta react like that to a senior player being sent off, and we’ve had plenty of red cards during his tenure. You could argue that his age is why it’s different, that we all need to learn lessons when we’re younger in ways that differ from when we’re more grown up. For me though, as talented as he is and as excited as we are about what he might become, it’s too easy to lose sight of the fact he is just 16, and that does make it different. It was so interesting that last week, after Bukayo Saka got injured against Bayern, there were myriad conversations about how Arteta was culpable to some extent because of how much he asked of the player since his breakthrough. And in the same breath, many of the same people were saying ‘It’s time for Dowman!’. I find it a little hard to square that circle. Do you actually care about the welfare of a young player or not? I think Arteta has generally been rightly protective of Max. He knows that exposure at this age is something he and his staff have to consider for all kinds of reasons, and his playing time this season has been limited. In this instance though, regardless of the fact it’s just a few sharp words on the sideline, he’s made this a bigger issue than it should have been, with Dowman firmly in the spotlight, and I’ll be curious to see how he addresses it in his pre-Liverpool press conference tomorrow. Ok, I’m gonna leave it there for this morning, but we’ll have an Arsecast for you a bit later on, so stand by for that. And for a little extra, Tim’s column this week touches on Myles Lewis-Skelly, while over on YouTube, Lewis has a new video examining how midfield rotations were key against Everton, and how that might play out across the rest of the season. You can watch below (and please subscribe to the channel). Until later. The post Arsenal right to appeal Dowman red appeared first on Arseblog ... an Arsenal blog. https://arseblog.com/2026/10/arsenal-right-to-appeal-dowman-red/ #dowman #maxdowman #red #mateusfernandes #colepalmer #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Tactics Column: Midfield carousel unlocks evolution Anyone else quickly want to think about the Premier League again after Tuesday’s League Cup defeat? Good! We have just the thing for you. Much has been said about Arsenal’s football over the past few weeks, but Saturday’s win over Everton was a clear step forward in terms of playing against a defensive setup and consistently getting into dangerous areas. With no Bukayo Saka, who has been the team’s biggest goal threat this season, Mikel Merino came into midfield to play behind Viktor Gyokeres, allowing Martin Odegaard to roam deeper. It was Odegaard’s constant roaming in midfield, with Rice advancing ahead of the ball, and link-up play with Myles Lewis-Skelly, tucking into a midfield role from left-back, that helped stretch Everton and create plenty of opportunities. With Declan Rice (circled) ahead of the ball, Martin Odegaard would often drop to find space and combine with left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly, who had tucked into midfield Lewis-Skelly quickly moved the ball on to Merino and Rice (circled) and Odegaard swapped positions again, with the Arsenal captain making an undetected late run into the box Having run off of his marker James Garner (circled), Odegaard arrives in space to receive Ben White’s lay-off in a good shooting position Those combinations didn’t directly lead to a goal, but they helped Arsenal dominate and threaten throughout the 2-0 win. A PSG-like fluidity in midfield and plenty of vertical passing looks like a real step forward for this Arsenal side and should make the team a lot more exciting to watch. We go into how those midfield rotations worked in the latest installment of Between The Lines, our new tactics-focused YouTube series. You can check out the video below, and be sure to subscribe to the Arseblog YouTube channel for more! Wengerball is back The post Tactics Column: Midfield carousel unlocks evolution appeared first on Arseblog ... an Arsenal blog. https://arseblog.com/2026/10/tactics-column-midfield-carousel-unlocks-evolution/ #tacticscolumn #midfield #martinodegaard #leaguecup #premierleague #arsenal #rice #mikelmerino #declanrice #bukayosaka #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

A Thousand Myles This Monday marks six months since Arsenal defeated Fulham 3-0 at Emirates Stadium. The game offered a rare oasis of calm in an otherwise fraught season of nailbiting wins. The Gunners, in the midst of a five game ‘playoff’ for the league title with Manchester City, as well as a Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid on the horizon, raced into a three-goal lead by half-time at the Emirates, earning an uproarious reception as the players made for the tunnel at half-time. The previous weekend had seen Arsenal labour to a nervy 1-0 win over Newcastle and a stodgy 1-1 away draw with Atletico Madrid. Bukayo Saka had been parachuted back into the team after an extended absence; but it was clear that Mikel Arteta was looking for ways to try to ease the ketchup out of the bottle, so to speak. Martin Zubimendi, who, at that point had played more league minutes than any other outfield Arsenal player, dropped to the bench. Myles Lewis-Skelly started in midfield for the first time in his short Gunners career. Myles was supposed to start an FA Cup tie at home to Wigan in that position before Riccardo Calafiori was injured in the warm-up, meaning Lewis-Skelly reverted to left-back with Bukayo Saka playing in a central role instead. The BBC Sport match report for the Fulham game said, ‘Boss Arteta has to be given credit for taking what could be perceived as risk by playing left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly in midfield for the first time and leaving out Martin Zubimendi, who has played the most minutes of any outfielder in the Gunners squad. The 19-year-old Lewis-Skelly looked assured in the role and, with Calafiori, Saka and Eberechi Eze all in the side, the Arsenal attack flowed better than it has done for many weeks.’ Myles kept his place for the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Atleti and again for the crunch away win at West Ham. He then started the Champions League semi-final. Probably a week prior to that Fulham game, many Arsenal fans were talking of an inevitable summer sale following the purchases of Piero Hincapie at left-back and Martin Zubimendi in midfield. His homegrown status made him a potentially attractive sale. His path appeared to be blocked. The talk clearly wasn’t lost on Lewis-Skelly. When he posted a picture with the Premier League trophy on his Instagram account, he captioned it ‘pure profit.’ It was an amusing clapback. His destiny appeared to change with a roll of the dice. Arteta made a brave call to sit Zubimendi down in favour of a teenager who had yet to really play a senior game in central midfield. Lewis-Skelly repaid his manager’s faith. Lewis-Skelly, who had burst onto the scene in an unfamiliar left-back position, had repeated the trick in central midfield. It is a quite extraordinary achievement for a teenager to break into a team the quality of Arsenal’s twice, in different positions. He has achieved it so matter-of-factly that I feel like everyone has barely noticed. This summer could also have proved complicated for Myles. Firstly, his late season resurgence wasn’t quite enough to win a place in England’s World Cup squad. I think that was a short-sighted decision from Tuchel. However, in the September international break, MLS started three of England’s four Nations League games in central midfield. In many ways, being spared an exhausting summer at the World Cup probably did Myles a favour in the long run. It enabled him to play a full pre-season and in central midfield too. With Declan Rice, Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi going to the final weekend of the tournament, as well as Odegaard, Eze and Bruno going to the latter stages, he had a clear run at the position. This put him in a strong position to start the season. However, his pre-season was complicated by two things. The signing of Bruno Guimaraes, who could have offered a further road-block to Myles’ progression. There were also strong rumours that some people in the club (!) were touting Lewis-Skelly around in a bid to raise the funds for a much-needed attacking A-lister. While this talk was swirling around in the summer, Myles’ response was to score in a pre-season friendly against Como. What followed was even more impressive, Bruno came into the season with some fitness concerns. Lewis-Skelly’s form was such that his presence in midfield made that a total non-issue. He starred in wins at Villa Park and at home to Chelsea. In truth, I still don’t think Bruno has done enough to firmly dislodge Myles from the role of Declan Rice’s midfield partner. His apprenticeship at left-back has also proved hugely useful and is helping him to pick up even more minutes. At Fleetwood, he played in both positions during the game, while he started games against Everton and Lille at left-back too. Having a minor and a major is very useful for a young player looking to build his CV. He came on for Bruno in the Allianz last week and, in my view, outshone his more experienced, more expensive teammate. (Please don’t think I am having a dig at Bruno here, he has clearly conjured up some huge contributions this season too). In a September interview with Men In Blazers, Lewis-Skelly talked about how he uses mindfulness techniques to deal with pressure and nerves. ‘There’s a Buddhism concept; it’s about the monkey mind. It’s practically about the restless mind, how you can jump from concern to concern. ‘So whenever I feel a type of weight, for me it’s important to bring my nervous system down and to bring stillness back to my mind, to be calm. Whether it is through breathing techniques, music or talking with other people, I just feel like it is important I always remain calm.’ It shows in his play and it shows in how he has dealt with certain situations. His re-ascension in the last six months has been very far from frictionless. Nothing has been given, pieces haven’t fallen into place. He has forced his way in and when he got the shirt, he gripped it for all its worth. Just think how unlikely it felt in January that Lewis-Skelly would be significantly ahead of Zubimendi in the midfield pecking order before the clocks went back for winter. It takes a special player and a special character to negotiate those numerous challenges and to get into this team. He has met those challenges so firmly that we have barely even noticed them. His is a significant talent. The post A Thousand Myles appeared first on Arseblog ... an Arsenal blog. https://arseblog.com/2026/10/a-thousand-myles/ #championsleague #arsenal #martinzubimendi #myles #atleticomadrid #emiratesstadium #bukayosaka #gunners #arteta #manchestercity #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Fleetwood Town 1-1 Arsenal (5-3 pens): A dismal night at Highbury Match report – Player ratings – Arteta reaction – Video Arsenal crashed out of the Carabao Cup last night, going down 5-3 on penalties to Fleetwood Town after a 1-1 draw in normal time. Mikel Arteta made changes, as you’d expect, with starts for young players Marli Salmon, Max Dowman and Ceadach O’Neill, while thus far peripheral senior men like Martin Zubimendi, Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie also came in for what ought to have been valuable playing time. He also decided, somewhat curiously in my opinion, to start both of his strikers, with Viktor Gyokeres up front and Kai Havertz behind him in midfield. There was a surreal start to the game when the referee spotted a drone hovering above Highbury Stadium and stopped play. I’m unsure what the big issue was however. Was he worried about player safety, TV rights? Whatever it was, we were stalled for 8 minutes until it was sorted out, not ideal for both sets of players on a night when conditions weren’t exactly clement. When play began again Arsenal dominated the ball but struggled to test the home side. Hincapie headed a Dowman cross over, before the 16 year old had a clear sight of goal but scuffed his right-footed shot wide. In the middle, Gyokeres looked unhappy as if the ball should have been squared but the shot was the right decision, the execution of it was the issue. Then, Fleetwood scored. We weren’t competitive enough around the second ball after a long kick from the goalkeeper, they played it forward, and Aaron Loupalo-Bi got the wrong side of Salmon before firing home through the legs of Illan Meslier. It’s not great defending from the 17 year old, but it’s one of those moments as a young player that are inevitable and that ultimately you learn from. He was superb against Ipswich in the last round, and given how badly we fared further forward with more experienced players, I don’t think we should give this much more than a passing mention. Decent balls in from Dowman gave Havertz and Timber headed chances which they spurned before the break, and that was the extent of our attacking play in that first period. So, it was no surprise when the manager made changes at the break with Ben White and Martin Odegaard replacing Salmon and Timber. It meant a bit of a reshuffle, and early in the second half we found an equaliser. O’Neill, who looked lively on the left, played a decent ball in from that side, Fleetwood’s defenders didn’t deal with it, Gyokeres – as he does too often – fell over, but on his way down touched it beyond the keeper for 1-1. And that should have been the point at which the game changed in our favour, but what we produced subsequent to the goal was just dismal. Odegaard made us a little bit better, but around him few others stepped up. Havertz was abysmal missing a great chance after Odegaard’s clever pass put him through, and Gyokeres completing 5 of 9 passes all night against League Two opposition illustrates the limitations of his game in stark fashion. When we need a focal point up front, he just cannot provide it. Eberechi Eze came on and made little difference, and while perhaps there’s some mitigation for Martin Zubimendi playing with a broken nose, he completely failed to impose himself on the game in any meaningful way for a player of his calibre. And then everything was compounded by the red card. After a bit of a scramble near the touchline there was a strong tackle on Dowman, one which took ball but also slid through on the man. He took exception to it, there was a very slight retaliatory movement with his leg which sparked a bit of a melee (Ben White was right on the scene to protect his teammate), and the referee adjudged it sufficient to send Dowman off. I think it’s very, very harsh. I don’t think the challenge from the Fleetwood player is quite as bad as some make out, but I can understand why Max reacted. He shouldn’t have done that, but you can’t send a player off for that. It wasn’t a kick, it wasn’t violent conduct, and I think an experienced referee should have been able to sort that out with a couple of yellow cards. Whether Arsenal will appeal the severity of a three match ban remains to be seen, but I think they have a good case to do so if they choose. What I really didn’t like, however, was Arteta’s reaction as Dowman went off. He clearly gave him an earful, and said afterwards, “Something that we discussed already before the match.” A little earlier there had been a confrontation between Odegaard and a Fleetwood player, and I think we can all understand the manager warning his players not to rise to any kind of bait. Nevertheless, Max Dowman is 16, and the manager’s job is to protect him. It doesn’t mean he has to be mollycoddled, it doesn’t mean he shouldn’t face the internal consequences of being shown a red card, but that should have played out in the dressing room, not on the touchline and on live TV. Arteta has done incredible work at this football club, but he’s not infallible, and in my opinion he got this one really wrong – regardless of how frustrated he might be with the reaction from Dowman. There was a late flurry from Arsenal as we looked to avoid penalties. The keeper made a very good save from Ben White, Odegaard had a shot which required another stop, and just before the end there was a really presentable chance for Havertz from an Eze cross which he headed tamely wide with no conviction. A moment which summed his own performance, and that of the team. Feeble. So then penalties. Fleetwood made no mistake with five solid spot kicks, we made one through Bruno Guimaraes, and that was that. A massive win for the home side, and fair play to them for it. It’s a night that will live long in the history of that club, and this is what cup football can throw up. It’s not the first time we’ve been the giant killed by a lower league side, but I really don’t think we can have any complaints because of how poorly we played overall. Congrats to them. Afterwards, Arteta said: First of all, congratulations to Fleetwood for going through the next round. The manner that they have done it, and for us a very sad day. There is nothing to criticise the players for their attitude, their application. The determination – you could see that was there from the start. The team keeps trying and trying with the ball with chances, shots and especially shots that we had not to score many more goals. Then you don’t capitalise, then you cannot go through to the next round. Unfortunately, we are out. I will say I think that’s a very generous assessment of our performance. Protective almost, in a way the comments about Dowman were not. There’s a big difference between having a lot of the ball and making that possession count, and while nights like this can happen, upsets are part of football, too many players out there last night let themselves down. Ahead of a big game at Anfield at the weekend, it’s not ideal, because some of them are going to have to play, and if they’re anything like they were last night, we’ll be in trouble. If you already harbour some concerns about our attacking potency, last night will done nothing to assuage them. I can’t sit here this morning and say I’m devastated at going out of this competition, but this was a night which produced many more questions than answers. If you were generous you’d say we were rusty and the changed nature of the side meant we lacked cohesion. The other assessment might be that we were absolutely terrible on the night, and even if some players are trying to find some rhythm and match sharpness, we ought to have produced a lot better than that embarrassing load of shit. I tend to connect far more with the latter than the former. Any defeat at Arsenal creates fallout. That’s something we’re going to have to contend with ahead of the weekend, and the lack of a post-game press conference means legitimate questions about the performance, some individuals, and the manager’s reaction to the sending off will have to wait until Friday, so this is gonna linger like an eggy fart in lift for a few days more. Update: Seems there was some post-game stuff. Right, I’ll leave it there for morning. Have a good one folks. The post Fleetwood Town 1-1 Arsenal (5-3 pens): A dismal night at Highbury appeared first on Arseblog ... an Arsenal blog. https://arseblog.com/2026/10/fleetwood-town-1-1-arsenal-5-3-pens-a-dismal-night-at-highbury/ #fleetwoodtown #arsenal #videoarsenal #highbury #night #carabaocup #gyokeres #dowman #cristhianmosquera #salmon #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Fleetwood Town v Arsenal – live blog Join us for live blog coverage of our EFL Cup clash away to Fleetwood Town, kick-off 20.00. We’ve got up to the second live text commentary, updates, goal clips, observations and occasionally witty asides. If you want to join the chat, register an Arseblog Live account. To do that, go to Arseblog Live – click login on the top right, and then choose ‘sign up’ to complete the process with your username/password. We also have added BlueSky functionality, so key moments – goals, cards, HT and FT scores etc – will be pushed to https://bsky.app/profile/live.arseblog.com CLICK TO LAUNCH Fleetwood Town v Arsenal LIVE BLOG The post Fleetwood Town v Arsenal – live blog appeared first on Arseblog ... an Arsenal blog. https://arseblog.com/2026/10/fleetwood-town-v-arsenal-live-blog/ #fleetwoodtown #arsenal #blog #eflcup #launchfleetwood #click #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

‘The 22’ launch event info – November 6th 2026 Hi folks! I just wanted to give you details of our London event for the launch of The 22, the limited edition book we told you about last week. This will be taking place at Big Red on Holloway Road on Friday November 6th, from 4pm – https://maps.app.goo.gl/BVG9SCHXuYaKbhar9 If you’d like to come along, please register your interest via this link – https://arseblog-yumastudios.eventbrite.co.uk We’ll have music, drinks, Arsenal fans, and of course a very special book celebrating the Premier League title win and the incredible celebrations that followed on the streets of North London. On Monday, those registered will receive an email which will allow them to purchase the book ahead of the event, and collect it on the night. These purchases will be for collection only. It will also be possible to take payment on the evening if you prefer to do it that way. Books are limited to a maximum of two per person. Pre-sale for Arseblog Patreon members will now be on Friday October 30th at 3pm (Dublin/London). We’ll make a post on Patreon with a link to get your copy! The remaining books will go on sale on November 7th, with worldwide shipping available. The post ‘The 22’ launch event info – November 6th 2026 appeared first on Arseblog ... an Arsenal blog. https://arseblog.com/2026/10/the-22-launch-event-info-november-6th-2026/ #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

A chance for rotation and rest as we face Fleetwood Town Morning. We’re in EFL Cup action this evening, taking on Fleetwood Town at Highbury Stadium (not that one). Tonight’s opposition sit 18th in League Two, and this will surely influence Mikel Arteta’s team selection. There are players I just do not want to see this evening. Not just from the start, but not in the squad at all. The likes of Declan Rice, Gabriel, Ezri Konsa, Martin Odegaard have all played a lot and could use a night off, and I would also include the two wide players we have fit – Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze. With injuries to Bukayo Saka and Christos Tzolis, we’re very light in that area of the pitch, and we do not need to risk them in a game like this. There’s still plenty of scope for rotation, and there are some senior players who could use some minutes, as well as an opportunity to fill out the bench with Academy lads. You imagine we’ll see starts for Kepa, Martin Zubimendi (assuming his nose isn’t too sore after the weekend), Cristhian Mosquera, Piero Hincapie, Mikel Merino, maybe Jurrien Timber, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and possibly Bruno Guimaraes, but also it’s an opportunity for Marli Salmon and Max Dowman again, both of whom started in the last round against Ipswich. Dowman played centrally that evening, in the Odegaard role, and got two goals, but I wonder if tonight he might be used out wide as we rest Madueke. After that, young players like Ife Ibrahim and Theo Julienne will be hoping for minutes to add to the ones they picked up in the last round, while forwards like Ceadach O’Neill and Igor Tyjon might fancy their chances of being included. This is a kind draw ahead of a weekend trip to Anfield, and with Liverpool playing Chelsea tomorrow night, it’s an opportunity for the manager to ease the burden on the guys who have played a lot as well as giving the next generation a chance too. I think we’ll also see Viktor Gyokeres up front, and the Swedish international could really do with a goal. He’s on a barren streak (in club terms at least), that stretches back to May 2nd, and it’s now 15 games without a goal. Even though his minutes have been a bit scant this season, that’s a record that’s hanging over him and one he’ll want to put right. A goal, or goals, against a League Two side in this competition will always have that little caveat applied, but it ought to be a real opportunity for him to build a little goalscoring confidence, so fingers crossed he can do exactly that. Speaking about tonight’s game, Arteta said: Every time you play a football match, and especially against a team in a different division, respect the game, respect every opponent because they deserve to do that, and then try to win and try to play better than them. So, let’s see how it plays out later on, kick off is 20.00 in this part of the world. — Elsewhere, while I find the concept of individual awards in football completely counter-intuitive to what makes the game as compelling as it is, I did want to mention Bukayo Saka winning the Socrates Award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony last night. The official website reports that: “Bukayo and his family have worked with multiple charities, including long-term projects with Big Shoe, providing medical care and humanitarian aid for children and families in need in London and around the world.” What’s also counter-intuitive to me is that we live in a society where there’s so much need and inequality, but grotesque, crypto-fascist, sociopathic tech-barons who hoard billions are lauded for their wealth and somehow seen as aspirational figures rather than the blight on society they actually are. Footballers are very, very well paid in comparison to your regular person, but don’t even come close to having the kind of money others flaunt at the expense of our daily lives, privacy, safety, and democracies – all the while protected by the mechanisms of corrupt government. And yet, they are often held up as an example of people who earn too much for doing too little. I remember during Covid, politicians singled out football players as those who should set an example by taking wage cuts or making charity donations or supporting the health services, while ignoring those who – less publicly – earn far, far more. But as we can see here, someone like Bukayo Saka (and he’s far from alone too), uses what his talent has provided to help others, and while I’m sure he doesn’t do it for awards or recognition, this spotlight on what he does can help the causes he supports. This is an individual award worth highlighting, and you can see the ceremony and his speech about it below. — Right, I’m gonna leave it there for now. As ever, we’ll bring you live blog coverage of the game later, as well all the post-game stuff on Arseblog News like the match report, player ratings, manager reaction, quotes round-up and more. Don’t forget the updated Arseblog apps also have a cool new matchday centre, full of stats, alerts, and much more. The Arsecast Extra is below too if you haven’t had a chance to listen yet. Catch you later for the game. Download – iTunes – Spotify – Acast – RSS The post A chance for rotation and rest as we face Fleetwood Town appeared first on Arseblog ... an Arsenal blog. https://arseblog.com/2026/10/a-chance-for-rotation-and-rest-as-we-face-fleetwood-town/ #fleetwoodtown #leaguetwo #rest #highburystadium #eflcup #martinodegaard #mikelarteta #martinzubimendi #nonimadueke #mikelmerino #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit