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Arsenal appeal rejected despite ex-ref arguing against red card

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Arsenal's appeal of Max Dowman's red card in their League Cup match against Fleetwood Town was rejected by an independent Regulatory Commission, as announced by the FA on Thursday. The red card resulted in a three-match suspension for Dowman. The FA stated that the commission dismissed claims of wrongful dismissal and excessive punishment.

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Arsenal appeal rejected despite ex-ref arguing against red card
Max Dowman of Arsenal reacts as he is sent off by referee Michael Salisbury during the Carabao Cup Fourth Round match between Fleetwood Town and Arsenal at Highbury Stadium on October 27, 2026 in Fleetwood, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

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Arsenal's appeal of Max Dowman's red card in their League Cup match against Fleetwood Town was rejected by an independent Regulatory Commission, as announced by the FA on Thursday. The red card resulted in a three-match suspension for Dowman. The FA stated that the commission dismissed claims of wrongful dismissal and excessive punishment. The decision means Dowman will miss matches against Liverpool, Hull City, and Newcastle United.

The red card was given for violent conduct after Dowman reacted to a heavy challenge with a swing of his leg. However, replays showed he was trying to throw off the opponent's leg, not kick it. Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey argued that it wasn't violent conduct, saying it was 'petulance' and not meeting the threshold for a red card.

The rejection of Arsenal's appeal comes despite criticism from former referees like Halsey, who felt the red card was unwarranted. The suspension will impact Arsenal, who are dealing with other injuries and fitness doubts, including to Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke, and the absence of Christos Tzolis. Dowman will be available for the Champions League match against Slavia Praha.

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League Cup defeat to Fleetwood Town in midweek, briefly reducing the team to 10 men. But the bigger impact is that Dowman is now out of action for three domestic fixtures, missing the matches against Liverpool, Hull City, and Newcastle United. The only positive is that he’ll be available for the Champions League match against Slavia Praha in between. Given the injury to Bukayo Saka and doubts around the fitness of Noni Madueke, as well as the fact that Christos Tzolis has been out of action for a couple of weeks, Arsenal could obviously do without losing Dowman. But their attempt to appeal the red card has already been rejected. The FA published a statement on Thursday, saying: “An independent Regulatory Commission has dismissed claims of both wrongful dismissal and excessive punishment for Max Dowman.

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