Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has remained coy on his reaction to Max Dowman's red card after the 16-year-old drew an angry response from the Gunner's boss in their shock loss to Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup.
Dowman, who was sent off for his reaction to a challenge by Harrison Neal, headed towards the tunnel but received a glare and what appeared to be some angry words from Arteta.
Following Arsenal's penalty shootout defeat, Arteta told reporters his irritated reaction to the teenager was about "something [they] discussed before the game."
Arteta said: "I haven't seen it [the red-card challenge] back, and with the camera you can't really see what happens. The decision was made by the referee, and that's it. Even with 10 men, we had three big chances to score."
The young winger's talents have seen him as the target of opponents, but when asked how they prepare for the 16-year-old being fouled regularly, Arteta remained tight-lipped.
"We're not going to discuss that here and now," he said in a post-match news conference.
"We know when we prepare the context of the match, we're very clear on what to expect. Emotionally, we have to dominate, but we're very clear."
Following the incident, former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson questioned Arteta's reaction to the teenager.
"You have to remember he is 16 years of age, he's a kid," Merson said on Sky Sports. "He wasn't having the greatest of nights so he's going to get frustrated. He gets the chance every now and then to play for Arsenal.
"He probably feels he should be playing more, he gets the chance tonight, isn't doing too great. It's an old fashioned tackle.
"If that's Viktor Gyökeres he [Arteta] isn't doing that. That's what I don't like. If it's an exprienced international, I don't think he does that. He's a human being.
"He's not the last person to get sent off for Arsenal and he's not the first."
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Sky Sports pundit Jobi McAnuff agreed with Merson's sentiment.
"Dowman is potentially the future of Arsenal. Arteta didn't get that quite right," he said.
In spite of the tough night in the North West, Arteta was quick to praise the fourth-tier side who delivered one of the biggest upsets in the history of the competition.
"First of all, congratulations to Fleetwood," Arteta said. "In the manner they did it, the atmosphere they created. I have nothing to fault the players for their attitude and intensity throughout the game, with 11 and with 10, but when you are playing in that superior way, you have to give nothing to the opponent.
"When we create the volume of shots and chances we did, you have to score three, four or five. You capitalise on it. If you don't, there are no margins, and that's the reality.
"Then you have to wait and get through the round on penalties, and we didn't do that. The probability was low with the way the game was panning out, but it's football and still with low probability, there is always a chance you could be out of the cup."