According to a report by the London Evening Standard on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Arsenal have suffered another setback after teenage winger Max Dowman received a three-match domestic suspension following his red card against Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup.

The punishment comes at a difficult time for manager Mikel Arteta, who is already dealing with several injury problems ahead of important fixtures.

The 16 year old will miss Arsenal’s matches against Liverpool, Hull City and Newcastle United, further reducing the manager’s options as the club competes across different competitions.

Arsenal’s latest disappointment came after their surprise Carabao Cup exit against League Two side Fleetwood Town on Tuesday. The match ended 1-1 after normal time before Fleetwood secured a 5-3 victory in the penalty shootout.

Aaron Loupalo Bi opened the scoring for the hosts in the 21st minute, putting Arsenal under pressure. However, Viktor Gyökeres equalised after the break, giving the visitors hope of reaching the next round. Arsenal were unable to find a winner before the match went to penalties.

Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch played a major role in the result, making important saves to deny Ben White and Martin Ødegaard late in the game. He then saved Bruno Guimarães’ penalty during the shootout, while Conor Haughey scored the decisive kick to send Fleetwood into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals for the first time.

Dowman’s dismissal became another major talking point after he kicked out at Harrison Neal following a strong challenge. The incident led to a confrontation between players from both teams, prompting referee Michael Salisbury to send off the young Arsenal winger for violent conduct.

The suspension means Dowman will miss the Premier League trip to Liverpool on November 1, the home match against Hull City on November 7 and the away game against Newcastle United on November 21.

However, the ban applies only to domestic competitions, meaning he remains available for Arsenal’s Champions League meeting with Slavia Praha on November 4. He is also expected to return for the Premier League clash against Manchester City on November 29.

Arsenal’s attacking options are already limited by Bukayo Saka’s reported quadriceps injury, which could keep him out for six to eight weeks. Christos Tzolis is also recovering from a hamstring problem.

Dowman had been given opportunities because of the club’s injury concerns. His suspension therefore creates another challenge for Arteta as Arsenal prepare for a demanding run of matches.