The Football Association has rejected Arsenal’s appeal against Max Dowman’s red card at Fleetwood Town, meaning the 16-year-old will serve a three-match suspension.
Dowman was sent off during Tuesday’s Carabao Cup defeat, leaving Mikel Arteta with another attacking selection headache. Arsenal are already without several wide players through injury.
In the 85th minute of the match, Dowman received a red card for responding to a heavy challenge by Fleetwood’s Harrison Neal. Although he did not make a full kicking motion, his foot made contact with Neal.
The decision was a costly one for Arsenal, who were already struggling in the game against their League Two opponents. They lost the game 1-1 and then saw Fleetwood win the penalty shootout 5-3.
They lodged an appeal on Wednesday but have now been turned down, meaning Dowman will miss the next three games.
Arteta loses another attacking option as Arsenal prepare for Liverpool
Dowman’s absence adds to Arsenal’s current problems in the wide areas.
That is three injured players with Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke and Christos Tzolis all sidelined. It means there aren’t many attacking options for Arteta to choose from.
But they have a big game coming up on Sunday when they go to Liverpool. Arteta will need to decide who he is going to play.
Dowman had another chance to shine in the game against Fleetwood. However, he only started for the second time this season. It was somewhat of a controversial night for the teenager.
This is the second time Dowman has received a red card in a short space of time having been sent off while playing for England Under-19s earlier this month.
Second red card raises questions over Dowman’s discipline
The latest dismissal has also shone a light on how Arsenal deal with one of their brightest young stars.
As Dowman made his way to the touchline, Arteta looked frustrated. He gave a serious look to the young teen and appeared to say something in anger as he exited the pitch.
This suggests it was something that had been discussed prior to the game. Arteta later said that the coaching staff had spoken about the emotional demands of the game during their preparations.
The Arsenal manager said the players had received clear instructions about what they needed to respect and control emotionally.
The dismissal was due to violent conduct. The laws of football state that a red card can be shown if a player uses or attempts to use excessive force or brutality on an opponent, outside of a challenge for the ball.
This does not necessarily mean there has to be physical contact. In this case there was contact between Dowman and Neal.
The teen will miss the next three matches as a result of his ban. The focus will be on getting Arsenal ready for their Liverpool match with a lack of attacking options at their disposal.
For Dowman, it is important to avoid any further disciplinary issues.
He has made a few senior appearances already, thanks to his talent, but avoiding disqualification is also necessary for his growth as a player.
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