Arsenal are preparing an appeal after the 16-year-old midfielder was dismissed in the 85th minute of Tuesday’s Carabao Cup tie following a reaction to a heavy challenge from Fleetwood’s Harrison Neal. The incident added to a difficult night for the Premier League champions.
Dowman’s foot made contact with Neal after the challenge, although the contact did not appear to be a full kick. The dismissal was his second red card of the month, following another while he was representing England Under-19s.
Arsenal drew 1-1 with the League Two side before losing 5-3 on penalties, in a result that ended their Carabao Cup run. The gap between the clubs was 84 places in the English league pyramid, making Fleetwood’s victory one of the competition’s biggest shocks.
Mikel Arteta appeared angry as Dowman walked off, and the Arsenal manager later explained that he had spoken to the teenager before the match about how to respond to physical treatment. The incident leaves Dowman suspended for Arsenal’s next three matches, including Sunday’s visit to Liverpool at Anfield.
Arteta also has three senior players whose fitness is in doubt. Riccardo Calafiori missed the Fleetwood game, Noni Madueke was unavailable with an ankle problem, and Declan Rice was left out after feeling an issue in the previous match against Everton.
“Calafiori was out, Noni was out with an ankle, and Declan was feeling a problem the other day, which is why I had to substitute him,” Arteta said after the defeat.
Rice had been withdrawn against Everton after appearing to hold his right hamstring. Calafiori, who had come on late in that game, went straight down the tunnel at full-time, while Madueke’s ankle issue is a newer concern.
The absences would leave Arsenal short of options, particularly on the right side of attack. Bukayo Saka is already sidelined with a quad injury, and Dowman’s suspension removes another young attacking option from Arteta’s plans.
Christos Tzolis has been hoping to return to training after a hamstring injury, but his availability for the Liverpool match remains uncertain. If Madueke is also unavailable, Arteta may have to consider alternative roles for his forwards, with Kai Havertz among the possible options after playing centrally against Fleetwood.
Arsenal must now respond quickly to their cup exit, with a demanding league fixture at Anfield coming only days after the defeat. The appeal over Dowman’s dismissal could affect the length of his suspension, but the immediate concern for Arteta is the number of players who may be unavailable.