Arsenal endured a painful night after being knocked out of the League Cup by fourth-tier Fleetwood Town, losing 5-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw.
Mikel Arteta acknowledged that Arsenal’s Leagues Cup defeat to fourth-tier side Fleetwood on Tuesday was a very sad day. The Premier League champions suffered a humiliating defeat, perhaps one of the most embarrassing results in their history after they crashed out 5-3 on penalties.
The fourth-tier side claimed a lead with a first-half goal from Aaron Loupalo-Bi. But Viktor Gyokeres netted an equaliser in the second half. After the fixture ended in a 1-1 tie, Fleetwood sealed a historic fourth-round upset win over Arsenal on penalties to kick them out of the tournament.
‘A very sad day’, says Arteta
Following the match, Arteta said it was a disappointing and painful defeat for the side and gave credit to Fleetwood and the players’ commitment, determination and attitude, highlighting that they continued to fight even after being reduced to ten men.
He also felt that Arsenal’s downfall happened after they conceded a goal, giving Fleetwood the momentum they needed.
Arteta added that their lack of clinical finishing allowed the match to remain tightly contested and ultimately be decided on penalties, where they fell short.
More from Football News“First of all, congratulations to Fleetwood for going through the next round. The manner that they have done it, and for us, a very sad day. There is nothing to criticise the players for their attitude, their application.
“The determination, you could see that was there from the start, even with 10 men. But we conceded a really poor goal to start with that gave them some momentum. Obviously we have so much of the ball, so many chances, so many shots, and if you want the margins to be bigger than going to the penalties, you need to capitalise on that. And we didn’t.
“It’s football, that’s the beauty of this competition. It’s a very sad day,” Arteta said.
Lawlor expresses thoughts on historic win
Fleetwood manager Lawlor expressed pride in their historic victory over the reigning champions, acknowledging they knew they could not out-play such a strong side but were delighted to beat them.
“I just can’t believe it. The biggest night in the club’s history in terms of opposition coming to town, and we’ve managed to beat the champions.
“We’re not stupid enough and not egotistical enough that you think we’re going to out-play the best team in the country and the most organised team in the country,” Lawlor said.
After the penalty shootout, Lawlor’s emotions poured out as Fleetwood fans invaded the pitch to celebrate their historic victory.
Meanwhile, Arsenal would look to regroup and rediscover their form ahead of their next match against Liverpool on November 1, 2026.