Dowman one of nine who f**ked Carabao chance, including Liverpool player Iraola insisted on keeping

Max Dowman should have been ‘very clear on the things to expect’, while Fulham, Brentford and Liverpool players messed up their chances too.

Max Dowman (Arsenal) It wasn’t really either a kick or a red card, Mikel Arteta perhaps shouldn’t have reacted in the way he did, and Arsenal ought to have avoided the situation in the first place by simply beating Fleetwood instead of dicking around.

But according to Arteta, his preparation should have left Dowman “very clear on the things to expect”, up to and including potentially dangerous tackles and grown men picking fights with 16-year-olds because This Is Senior Football.

Dowman, either way, with just 24 minutes across the Premier and Champions Leagues this season, is left with far fewer first-team opportunities in the immediate future. And is probably grounded at any rate.

Rodrigo Muniz (Fulham) Alvaro Arbeloa does not drop Gonzalo Garcia lightly. Only in the Carabao has there been a semblance of rest and rotation for the Real Madrid academy product, and Muniz stepped into the void with goals against lower-league opposition in the second and third rounds.

His blank against Crystal Palace, with one particularly presentable chance missed, has condemned Muniz to at least two more months of 15-minute cameos until the FA Cup rolls around.

Fair play to Aaron Loupalo-Bi, the Arsenal-slaying, Fulham-owned striker who can actually score and will be in the Carabao quarters.

Allan (Manchester City) Not entirely sure why he decided not to score and assist a goal, but it does feel like a mistake not to copy what worked so well in the previous round.

It could perhaps be argued that a Norwich side battling Championship relegation isn’t of the same standard as a Brighton team in the Champions League places, but the Carabao does not discriminate and nor should Allan.

Dario Osorio (Crystal Palace) He was entirely fine, completing half of Palace’s total dribbles and pitching in defensively, yet Osorio will need to show more if his Premier League loan is to be made permanent.

The inevitably lightweight 22-year-old Chilean’s two starts for Palace since joining from Midtjylland have been in the Carabao. While that route remains open after Palace threatened to continue completing their silverware collection, Osorio is unfortunately doing little to move the Premier or Europa League needle in a team not set up to accentuate his strengths.

Lewis Dunk (Brighton) Better at pinging them in from 30 yards than taking John Terry-adjacent shoot-out penalties.

Lamare Bogarde (Aston Villa) About as competent a right-back as Winston. And we’re talking modern-day Winston.

El Hadji Malick Diouf (Brentford) For £40m, Brentford might expect their left side to be in slightly more reliable hands when Keane Lewis-Potter is rested. But all three Sunderland goals came down that flank, with Diouf especially susceptible for the first goal and failing to contain Ta Bi throughout.

James McConnell (Liverpool) Liverpool ‘pulled the plug’ on a loan to Preston for McConnell in the summer, promising first-team opportunities at Anfield for the midfielder.

Andoni Iraola has been true to his word, with the Daily Mail having reported that the Spaniard was ‘impressed’ with the youngster’s application in training.

McConnell has been given an hour each in the Carabao wins over Spurs and Chelsea, but just nine Champions League minutes and no Premier League appearances yet.

The 22-year-old is not lacking in effort – and does have specific Carabao pedigree against Chelsea – but is not quite of the requisite technical standard either to push beyond domestic cup minutes.