Arsenal have decided to appeal the red card shown to Max Dowman during their Carabao Cup defeat to Fleetwood Town, with the club aiming to overturn the resulting three-match ban.
The 16-year-old was dismissed late on after being spotted kicking out by the referee following a heavy challenge, which triggered a mass brawl at Highbury. It was the first red card of his club career, and he now faces a domestic ban for violent conduct.
Appeal lodged with FA
According to football.london, Arsenal do not agree with the decision and will appeal in an attempt to overturn the ban. The club need to submit the relevant documents to the FA by 1pm on Thursday, with Arsenal chiefs keen to get the case resolved before Sunday's clash with Liverpool at Anfield.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was guarded when asked about Dowman's dismissal. Speaking in his post-match press conference, he said: “I haven’t seen it back, and with the camera you can’t really see what happens.
“The decision was made by the referee, and that’s it. Even with 10 men, we had three big chances to score. We know when we prepare the context of the match, we’re very clear on what to expect. Emotionally, we have to dominate, but we’re very clear.”
Arteta's reaction criticised
Arteta was also spotted giving Dowman a furious response following the red card but preferred to remain tight-lipped on what was said between the two. The Arsenal boss added: “It’s something that we discussed before the game.”
Arsenal icon Paul Merson was not a fan of Arteta's reaction. He said: "You have to remember he is 16 years of age - he's a kid.
"He wasn't having the greatest of nights so he's going to get frustrated. He gets the chance every now and then to play for Arsenal.
"He probably feels he should be playing more. He gets the chance tonight, isn't doing too great. It's an old-fashioned tackle.
"If that's Viktor Gyokeres, he [Arteta] isn't doing that. That's what I don't like. If it's an experienced international, I don't think he does that. He's a human being. He's not the last person to get sent off for Arsenal and he's not the first."
Dowman's season so far
Dowman made his debut for Arsenal last season and went on to make 13 appearances in all competitions. He famously scored against Everton to nudge the North London side closer to the Premier League title.
He also scored twice in Arsenal's win against Ipswich in the previous round of the Carabao Cup. Arsenal eventually saw their run in the competition ended as they were downed on penalties by Fleetwood, with Bruno Guimaraes seeing his spot kick saved.
