Arsenal midfielder Max Dowman handed three-match ban

Arsenal midfielder Max Dowman will serve a three-match suspension after the Football Association rejected the club’s appeal regarding his red card. The 16-year-old was sent off for violent conduct during a Carabao Cup match against Fleetwood Town, after reacting to a heavy challenge from Harrison Neal.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed significant disappointment with the decision, noting that the club had presented arguments to contest both the dismissal and the severity of the punishment. Arteta also defended his heated reaction toward Dowman on the pitch, stating that the professional environment of the Premier League requires players to dominate their emotions and that he intends to hold the teenager to the same standards as the rest of the first team.

The suspension means Dowman will miss upcoming domestic fixtures against Liverpool, Hull City, and Newcastle United. However, the ban does not apply to European competitions, meaning he remains eligible for Arsenal’s UEFA Champions League fixture against Slavia Prague.