Max Dowman failing to earn red card reprieve is a blessing in disguise for Arsenal

Sometimes in life, you need to receive a harsh punishment to learn an important lesson.

Arsenal's teenage prodigy, Max Dowman, is on course for a case of this after he was sent off on Tuesday night against Fleetwood Town at Highbury. The teenager spent much of the game on the periphery due to the Lancashire outfit's aggressive approach to man-marking him, and unsurprisingly, he grew frustrated.

This frustration seemingly boiled over in the 85th minute with an act of minor petulance from the 16-year-old. A reckless tackle from Fleetwood midfielder Harrison Neal prompted Dowman to angrily weave his trapped leg in towards the League Two player.

Referee Michael Salisbury proceeded to show the Arsenal winger a straight red card. Dowman was incensced, but was also given a stern talking to by Mikel Arteta as he left the field of play.

Max Dowman's red card hasn't been overturned

Arsenal rightfully decided to appeal the decision to send Dowman off. To nobody's surprise, this appeal wasn't successful. The youngster will serve a three-match suspension and subsequently won't be available for selection on Sunday at Anfield.

While Dowman's reaction could be construed as 'violent conduct' or 'dissent', this is a cynical outlook to adopt and is punishing the player to the nth degree. Had VAR been involved, it almost certainly would've assessed the situation and overturned it. There was little malice in Dowman's reaction, minimal force and it perfectly encapsulated a 'book both players and move on' moment.

To genuinely believe that the incident merited removing the player from the field of play, distorting the match entirely, is staggering. It shows a complete and utter lack of understanding of the nuances of officiating a football game.

That said, the FA released the following statement on the matter on Thursday evening:

"An independent Regulatory Commission has dismissed claims of both wrongful dismissal and excessive punishment for Max Dowman. The Arsenal player was sent off during their EFL Cup game against Fleetwood Town on Tuesday 27 October, and will be suspended for three matches. The Regulatory Commission's written reasons for its decisions will be published in due course."

This could benefit Dowman and Arsenal in the long run

Nobody can blame Dowman for his irritated reaction. He's grown up in a sanitised academy environment, where he's constantly recieved love and praise, and has always been by far and away the best player on the pitch.

He's not used to adversity. Tuesday night was the first time in his fledgling career that he faced hardship, as he was being kicked out of the match. It's no surprise that he reacted angrily.

Of course, he was still punished far too harshily, and while the Gunners will suffer in the short-term, missing him for games against Liverpool, Hull City and Newcastle United, this may benefit them in the long run.

Dowman needs to learn that when you're good, players will try to stop you by any means possible, and this will occasionally verge on violent, reckless acts. Bukayo Saka learned this the hard way, and he hardly rises to the opponent's dark arts these days.

Yes, Dowman was unfairly dismissed, but he also gave the referee the opportunity to send him off by reacting. He's an Arsenal player, and he might not be refereed fairly throughout his career.

He'll be sitting on the sidelines over the next few weeks, ruing his decision to react. He'll now know that he can't rise to the opponent's mistreatment. He has to remain composed and well-mannered, even if it's unfair.

Dowman will probably never be sent off for anything like this ever again.

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