Mikel Arteta came under fire for the way he dealt with Max Dowman's first professional sending-off.
The 16-year-old received his red card in the 85th minute of Arsenal's surprising Carabao Cup fourth-round defeat to Fleetwood Town on Tuesday.
Dowman reacted angrily to a solid challenge by Harrison Neal on the touchline, kicking out at the midfielder.
When the fracas settled, referee Michael Salisbury promptly ordered the winger off.
Artura was visibly displeased, giving the teen a cold stare after muttering something brief before Dowman walked down the Highbury tunnel.
The manager's response, which quickly went viral, was not well liked by several Sky Sports pundits covering the game.
Former Premier League player Jobi McAnuff said, "I didn't like this at all. That didn't seem to be a normal reaction, it felt like there was a bit of an undertone."
Arsenal legend Paul Merson added, "You've got to remember he's 16, he's a kid. If that [was] Gyokeres [who had been sent off], he's not doing that. But he does that to a 16-year-old kid."
"He's a talent, but also a human being. For me, I would have put my arm around him. For me, that's a classic moment," Merson continued.
He also suggested Arteta might look back with regret, saying, "If he could have that [moment] back, he'd do that different."
When asked what he said to Dowman as the youngster left the field, Arteta told BBC Sport, "[It was] something that we discussed already before the match."
On the defeat, Arteta, who believes Dowman will learn from the incident, said, "I'm sad, I think we are all sad. We have a massive responsibility to carry this badge in the best possible way. It had nothing to do with effort or application or determination to win it. But we lack other things to create a much bigger margin than today. With what we produce, they really should have been shown in the scoreline."
