Ex-PGMOL Chief Drops Verdict on Max Dowman’s Arsenal Red Card vs Fleetwood

There was huge drama in the Carabao Cup as Arsenal lost on penalties to Fleetwood Town. Not only was the result eye-catching, but Max Dowman’s controversial red card has also been a big talking point.

The Gunners were huge favourites coming into the away game, with their opponents currently 18th in League Two. However, the Premier League were unable to show their quality at Highbury Stadium, losing to a team 84 places below them in the English pyramid.

Fulham loanee Aaron Loupalo-Bi scored in the 21st minute to give Fleetwood Town a shock 1-0 lead. Mikel Arteta responded with two half-time substitutes, and it helped improve things a little, as Viktor Gyokeres levelled the score five minutes after the break.

Fleetwood, though, hung in and made things tricky. Arsenal’s frustration on the night was evident when Dowman was sent off for losing his temper late on. Unable to find a winner, the game finished 1-1 and went straight to penalties.

Bruno Guimaraes was the only man to miss in the shootout as Fleetwood scored all five of their efforts to knock the champions of England out of this season’s League Cup.

Keith Hackett Questions ‘Reckless’ Fleetwood Foul on Max Dowman

At 16, Dowman is one of the best young players in England, but he struggled with his teammates to make a positive impression on the night. The teenager then lost his head in the 86th minute when he was smashed into by Harrison Neal.

It was a poor tackle, and that’s what caused Dowman to react as angrily as he did. He picked up the first senior red card of his career as a result, but many have questioned if it was a fair call.

Paul Merson, for example, said on the Sky Sports punditry that the dismissal was harsh. “I just thought it could have easily been a yellow, in my opinion,” he said before noting that the Fleetwood player’s challenge was very strong: “It’s an old-fashioned tackle.”

Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has now weighed in on the debate, offering his opinion on both Dowman’s red card and Neal’s foul which sparked the incident. He first referenced Cole Palmer’s lash-out at Tottenham Hotspur’s Mateus Fernandes on the weekend, pointing out the similarities:

Hackett appeared to understand why referee Michael Salisbury sent Dowman off for his retaliation. In another social media post, though, he suggested that Neal was lucky not to pick up the same punishment, as his foul as a “minimum yellow card.”

The Fleetwood star wasn’t even booked for his foul, prompting someone to ask Hackett: “Worthy of a red for Dowman without any card for Neal? Why is it always the retaliation gets punished more severely than the initial offence?”

The former Premier League referee replied:

Mikel Arteta Explains Angry Reaction To Max Dowman Red Card

REUTERS/Jon Super

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta appeared to be fuming when Dowman walked past him, shouting something at the red-carded player. However, when quizzed about his comment after the defeat, the Spaniard didn’t give much away, stating: “It was something that we discussed before the game.”

Arteta’s reaction has been strongly criticised in the media, with Sky Sports pundit Jobi McAnuff claiming: “I didn’t like the reaction at all,” while Merson added:

“If that’s [Viktor] Gyokeres, who’s an experienced international, he [Arteta] isn’t doing that – but he does that to a 16-year-old kid?

“He’s not the last person to get sent off for Arsenal, nor the first. If it was me, I’d have put my arm around him. It’s still 1-1, they’re still in the game.

“We all say things in life we wish we hadn’t and if he [Arteta] could have that back, he’d do it differently.”

Even though the 16-year-old was sent off in a Carabao Cup tie, it has been confirmed that Dowman’s three-match suspension will be carried over into the Premier League. As such, he will miss games against Liverpool, Hull City and Newcastle.