Mikel Arteta has insisted Max Dowman’s red card at Fleetwood Town is ‘a chapter that is gone’, revealing the teenager has been in ‘great spirit’ since the incident.
The 16-year-old was sent off late on in [Arsenal](https://roundtable.io/sports/soccer/premier-league/arsenal)’s Carabao Cup defeat at Highbury Stadium last Tuesday, after reacting to a heavy challenge. The club’s appeal against the decision was rejected, and Dowman is serving a three-match domestic suspension. He missed Sunday’s 1-0 win at Liverpool and will also sit out the Premier League games against Hull City and Newcastle United.
However, the ban does not apply to European competition, meaning Dowman is available for Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Slavia Prague.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Arteta said the episode had been a learning experience for everyone at the club.
‘That’s a chapter that is gone,’ he said. ‘It’s a moment of learning from all of us and we move on. You learn from the not-so-good ones; you make sure that you learn from the great ones as well.’
The Arsenal boss also revealed the pair had spent time together in training, and said Dowman’s attitude had been positive throughout.
‘He’s been in great spirit. When you see the kid, and today we spent some time together as well talking about things in training, it’s always super positive,’ Arteta added. ‘When you’re 16 you have a different way of looking at things and treating things, and that’s what he brings to the team as well.’
The comments come a week after Arteta was seen frustratedly speaking to Dowman following his dismissal at Fleetwood
Arteta later said his reaction came ‘in a moment of heat and extreme frustration’, and that the team had discussed the risk of Dowman being targeted before the game.
Asked whether Dowman could start Champions League matches this season, Arteta said the decision now rests with him.
‘It’s another year in his career and he’s shown that every time he’s played with us, he has a lot to offer,’ he said. ‘So that would be now a matter of a choice from my side to pick him.’
Wednesday’s opponents hold special significance for the teenager. Dowman came off the bench in Arsenal’s 3-0 win at Slavia Prague in November 2025, becoming the first 15-year-old to play in the Champions League.
He has also scored twice for Arsenal this season, both in the Carabao Cup third-round win over Ipswich Town in September.
With Bukayo Saka sidelined and Dowman unavailable domestically, a return to the scene of his record-breaking debut could offer him a chance to put the Fleetwood incident behind him.
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