Arsenal’s appeal against Max Dowman’s red card is expected to fail, according to former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher, after the teenager was dismissed in the Carabao Cup defeat by Fleetwood Town.
Dowman was shown a red card for violent conduct after kicking out at Harrison Neal late in the fourth-round tie, which Arsenal eventually lost on penalties. The 16-year-old reacted after Neal had made a strong challenge on him.
Arsenal must submit their appeal by 1pm on Thursday and are hoping for a decision before Sunday’s match at Liverpool.
Gallagher said he did not expect the appeal to succeed, arguing that Dowman’s action showed sufficient aggression and intent to justify the dismissal.
“I think it is [a red card],” Gallagher said. “People are comparing it to Cole Palmer on Saturday with Mateus Fernandes, I think Dowman is a little bit more aggressive.
“He knows what he’s doing. He almost brings his knee up in a kicking action.”
However, Gallagher also felt Arsenal should have been awarded a free-kick for Neal’s challenge, with the Fleetwood defender receiving a yellow card.
“Although Neal gets the ball, he’s too aggressive,” he said. “It’s a reckless challenge and he’s had little regard to the safety of Dowman.”
Paul Merson says Max Dowman must learn to handle challenges
Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson took a different view of the dismissal, describing the tackle as an old-fashioned challenge and saying Dowman’s reaction was not serious enough to warrant a red card.
Merson said the teenager would face strong challenges throughout his career and would need to avoid allowing opponents to provoke him.
“He’s going to get that for the whole of his career. He’s going to be kicked,” Merson said. “People are going to look at the game now and they’re going to go, ‘Right, we’ve got to upset him. Try and get inside him. Try and upset him’. And he’s got to be better than that.”
Merson also criticised Mikel Arteta’s reaction as Dowman headed towards the tunnel, saying the Arsenal manager should have put an arm around the youngster.
Arteta said his exchange with Dowman related to matters discussed before the match, but declined to provide further details. He added that the team had been clear about the emotional demands of the fixture.
Jobi McAnuff also questioned Arteta’s response, saying Dowman was still only 16 despite his considerable potential.
“Yes, he’s a fantastic talent, but he will make mistakes along the way,” McAnuff said. “I didn’t like the reaction at all.”
