Max Dowman's appeal rejected, Arsenal teenager to miss three matches

Arsenal midfielder Max Dowman will miss three matches after the club's appeal against his red card was rejected.

The 16-year-old was sent off in the 85th minute of Tuesday's Carabao Cup tie at Fleetwood Town, a League Two side. The Carabao Cup is the League Cup, the knockout competition that many clubs use to give younger players a run out. A straight red card means a player is sent off on the spot and cannot be replaced.

The referee's decision followed a heavy challenge from Fleetwood's Harrison Neal. Dowman reacted, and his foot made contact with Neal during the incident. He was dismissed for violent conduct. BBC Sport reported that Arsenal appealed the decision on Wednesday, but the appeal was turned down.

The three-match ban covers Arsenal's next three Premier League games. Those are the top division's fixtures, and the next one is away to Liverpool on Sunday. Dowman will be unavailable for all three. Yahoo Sports also reported the suspension length.

The match itself was tight. It finished 1-1 after 90 minutes, and Fleetwood won the shoot-out 5-3 on penalties, a sequence of one-on-one kicks from the spot used to settle cup ties that are level at the end of normal time. Arsenal were knocked out of the competition on the night.

This is the second red card Dowman has received this month. He was also sent off while playing for England's Under-19 team, so the teenager has now had two early exits in a few weeks. Young players often pick up their first cards when they are still learning how to control their tempers under pressure, and Dowman's coaches will be hoping this is a lesson rather than a pattern.

Arsenal are also without several key players. Bukayo Saka, Christos Tzolis and Noni Madueke are all currently injured, which leaves the squad short of options in midfield and attack. Dowman's absence adds to that pressure at a busy stretch of the season.

For a 16-year-old, the speed of this story is a lot to take in. One moment of frustration has cost him three games, and it has put his name into the headlines for the wrong reason. The next few weeks will show how he responds, both on the pitch and in the training ground work that comes after a suspension.