Arsenal will be without Max Dowman for three domestic matches after the club failed in appeals against both his dismissal at Fleetwood Town and the length of the suspension. Mikel Arteta said he was "very disappointed" by the outcome, which was confirmed on Thursday, and argued that the 16-year-old was fortunate not to suffer a serious injury in the challenge that provoked his reaction.

The incident and the failed appeals

Dowman was sent off in the closing stages of Tuesday's EFL Cup tie at Highbury Stadium, which Arsenal exited on penalties after a 1-1 draw, according to Sky Sports. The teenager was caught by a late challenge from Harrison Neal near the touchline and responded by flicking his leg to throw his opponent off his foot. The referee treated that as violent conduct.

Arsenal contested the red card itself and the number of games, and Arteta said the club had "put every argument on the table" in an attempt to have it overturned. Neither challenge succeeded.

"I'm very disappointed, to be fair. In comments that appeared on Arseblog News, Arteta stated: "Especially with the reckless tackles that he received, and then his reaction is minimal in relation to the action,". He added: "It could have been really bad, and we're lucky today that he hasn't had a broken foot; that's clear."

Arteta defends touchline exchange

As Dowman made his way off the pitch past the dugouts, Arteta leaned in and spoke to him. Sky Sports reports that its pundit Paul Merson criticised the manager's approach, arguing he should instead have put an arm around the youngster.

Arteta said he had not seen the coverage of his own reaction and asked for the context to be considered, pointing to the relationship he has with the player and what the pair had discussed before kick-off. He said part of his frustration stemmed from having cautioned Dowman during the interval against reacting to physical challenges, especially because Dowman had also been dismissed while representing England under-19 against the USA earlier this month.

"My reaction comes in a moment of heat and extreme frustration, because I know the consequences of that, especially for Max," he said. The manager stressed that the brief exchange offered only a glimpse of how he works with a player so young, telling Sky Sports: "We are not in Disneyland, we are in the Premier League."

He insisted the pair had cleared the air. "I had a talk with him yesterday, no issues at all," Arteta said, adding that he is protective of young players precisely because he made similar mistakes himself and knows how costly they can be. He said the habit needs to be stopped quickly, given the way Dowman plays and the attention he attracts from opponents.

Former players back the teenager

Writing and speaking in the aftermath, two former strikers took a different view of the dismissal. Micah Richards, quoted by Daily Cannon, rejected the argument that Dowman should simply have stayed calm. "If the tackle would have been a fraction higher or a fraction lower, it breaks his leg," Richards said, describing the reaction as instinctive for a player of that age.

Alan Shearer, meanwhile, said he admired the fact that Dowman stayed upright rather than going to ground under the challenge, noting that many players would have done so.

What it means for Sunday

The suspension rules Dowman out of Arsenal's Premier League trip to Liverpool on Sunday, a 16:30 kick-off at Anfield. Daily Cannon reports that the ban is domestic only, meaning he remains available for the Champions League fixture against Slavia Praha.

Arteta's squad travel to Merseyside looking to respond to the midweek cup exit, having drawn 1-1 at Fleetwood before losing the shootout.

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