Arsenal to appeal against Dowman red card

What the report says

Arsenal are set to appeal the straight red card shown to 16-year-old midfielder Max Dowman during Tuesday’s Carabao Cup defeat at Fleetwood Town, according to BBC Sport Football. Dowman was dismissed late in the match after reacting to a heavy challenge from Fleetwood’s Harrison Neal, with the referee judging that his foot made contact and that the incident amounted to violent conduct.

The match ended 1-1 after normal time, before League Two Fleetwood knocked out the Premier League side 5-3 on penalties. BBC Sport said the sending-off was Dowman’s second red card of the month, after an earlier dismissal while playing for England Under-19s. The current ruling would leave him facing a three-match ban unless Arsenal’s appeal is successful.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was visibly unhappy as Dowman left the pitch and later said his players had been briefed on controlling their emotions and respecting the demands of the occasion. The episode comes at a difficult time for Arsenal, who are already missing several wide options through injury ahead of their Premier League trip to Liverpool on Sunday.

More broadly, the case highlights the pressure on a young player being used in a senior cup tie and the disciplinary rules around violent conduct, which can bring automatic suspensions even when contact is limited.