Max Dowman, 16, Misses Liverpool, Hull and Newcastle After Arsenal Lose Appeal

• Max Dowman, 16, is suspended for three Premier League games after an independent commission rejected Arsenal’s appeal against his red card at Fleetwood, per BBC Sport.
• The commission dismissed claims of both wrongful dismissal and excessive punishment.
• Arsenal are without Bukayo Saka, Christos Tzolis and Noni Madueke through injury, so the ban removes another wide option.

Arsenal Lose Their Fight Over a Red Card That Split Opinion

Max Dowman will sit out three Premier League games after the Football Association confirmed on Thursday that an independent commission had thrown out Arsenal’s appeal. The 16-year-old misses Sunday’s trip to Liverpool, then the home game with Hull and the trip to Newcastle either side of the international break. Arsenal argued that the red card at Fleetwood was a wrongful dismissal and that three matches was too harsh a punishment. The commission rejected both arguments. Its written reasons will be published in due course, so the full thinking behind the decision is still to come.

What Dowman Did and What the Laws Say

Referee Michael Salisbury sent Dowman off in the 85th minute of Tuesday’s Carabao Cup fourth-round tie after he reacted to a heavy challenge from Fleetwood’s Harrison Neal. The game finished 1-1, and League Two Fleetwood beat the Premier League champions 5-3 on penalties.

The sending off divided opinion. Dowman did not fully kick out, though his foot did make contact with Neal. Paul Merson defended him on air that night, and Arsenal legend Ray Parlour called him “a little bit unlucky”, adding that “he’s going to make mistakes” and “He’s got to learn from it”.

The laws of the game are blunt on this point. Violent conduct is when a player “uses or attempts to use excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball”, and the laws add that it counts whether or not contact is made. Contact is not needed, so the fact that Dowman did not fully kick out does not settle the question. The commission has not yet said how it read that wording, and its written reasons are due.

Arteta’s Words and a Second Red Card in a Month

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta gave Dowman a scathing look as he left the pitch and appeared to say something angry to him. Arteta said after the game that he had not spoken to the teenager about the dismissal, and described the preparation: “When we prepared the context of the match, we were very clear on the things to respect, the things that emotionally we have to dominate. It was very clear.” Asked on radio what he said to Dowman as the teenager walked off, he called it “something that we discussed already before the match”. He also said “I prefer to watch it back properly and then I can assess the situation.” That tunnel exchange drew plenty of attention.

The rejected appeal adds a harder fact for Dowman. This was his second red card this month, after he was also sent off while playing for England’s Under-19s. A single dismissal can be put down to a young player reacting to a tackle. Two in one month make a case for leniency harder to argue, and the pundit debate over Arteta’s reaction shows how divided opinion was.

A Thin Wing and a Long Wait

The timing hurts Arsenal. Dowman made only his second start of the season at Fleetwood, and the club were already light on options on the wing. Bukayo Saka, Christos Tzolis and Noni Madueke are all injured. Arteta said earlier this month that the Saka injury did not look good.

Dowman will not be available for a top-flight fixture until 29 November, when Arsenal host Manchester City. That is nearly a month away from league football for a teenager Parlour calls “still a kid” at 16.

Arteta made nine changes for the Fleetwood tie. Arsenal fell behind in a disjointed first half, Martin Ødegaard came on at half-time and Viktor Gyökeres levelled before the red card and the shootout. Fleetwood now play a first quarter-final in the club’s history, at home to Everton or Newcastle.

Arsenal now have to cover the flank at Anfield on Sunday without him. The commission’s written reasons, still to come, will explain why the club’s appeal failed on both counts.

WRITTEN BY

George Howson

George Howson is a Futbol Chronicle contributor and accredited journalist with over 20 years of experience following international football. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, George has covered matches at stadiums around the world, bringing deep knowledge and first-hand insight to every match report and analysis he writes.

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