Reason given for why Dowman’s appeal was rejected 

Max Dowman will have to serve the remaining two domestic matches of his suspension after Arsenal failed in their appeal against his red card during the match against Fleetwood Town. The Gunners had hoped to have the teenager’s punishment overturned or reduced, but the decision has now been upheld.

The 16-year-old was sent off after reacting to a rough challenge from an opponent. Dowman was unhappy with the tackle and responded in a way that left the referee with little choice but to take disciplinary action.

His reaction also reportedly disappointed Mikel Arteta, who had warned his players to expect physical challenges during the game. Although Dowman will have to learn from the incident, the experience could help him develop greater composure as he continues his progress at senior level.

Arsenal lose appeal against suspension

Arsenal challenged the original decision in the hope of making Dowman available sooner, but their appeal was rejected. An independent panel has now explained why it believed the suspension should remain unchanged.

According to Standard Sport, members of the panel highlighted that Dowman had an opportunity to avoid escalating the incident after being tackled. They felt his response justified the referee’s decision to send him off.

The panel stated that he had the chance “to step out of this challenge without any reaction, but he turned back towards Neal and his forceful attempt at a retaliatory kick gave the referee a decision to make”.