Sportsupdated 57m ago2 min read
MapMikel Arteta Calls Arsenal’s Carabao Cup Exit “Very Sad Day” After Fleetwood Win 5-3 On Penalties
“Paul Merson, who felt the Arsenal manager should have put an arm around him.”
“There is nothing I can criticise the players for in terms of their attitude and commitment.”
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL · Cropped for layout
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Arsenal eliminated by Fleetwood Town on penalties after 1-1 draw. Max Dowman was sent off late in the match.
11 outlets told this the same way.
Arsenal crash out
Mikel Arteta called Arsenal’s Carabao Cup exit a "very sad day" after the Premier League champions crashed out of the fourth round against Fleetwood Town on penalties. Fleetwood struck first in the 21st minute, and Arsenal drew level in the second half before the tie went to a penalty shootout that Fleetwood won 5-3. Bruno Guimaraes saw his penalty saved by Fleetwood Town goalkeeper Jay Lynch, and Conor Haughey scored the winning spot-kick to send the Gunners packing.
Arteta said Arsenal had created chances and shots but "when you don't take your chances, you can't reach the next round," as he added that Arsenal were out of the competition. The BBC also framed the result as a major upset, noting Fleetwood were ranked 84 places below Arsenal in the English football pyramid and won 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Highbury Stadium.
Lawlor, Lynch, and debate
Matt Lawlor celebrated Fleetwood’s victory by saying, "We haven't practised once," after the League Two side converted five penalties to knock out Arsenal. Lawlor also said, "I'm not going to blag that we had some meticulous penalties [planned], we haven't," as he described how he thought the rules might have changed and then learned the English Football League had scrapped extra time years ago. Jay Lynch said Fleetwood took heart from Grimsby beating Manchester United last season, and Lynch added, "We took heart from Grimsby beating Manchester United last season, it felt comparable."
Paul Merson criticized Arteta’s reaction to Max Dowman as the 16-year-old went down the tunnel, and Merson said, "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?" Arteta responded that it was "Something that we discussed before the game," and he refused to provide more detail when pressed on what he said.
What comes next
Arsenal’s Carabao Cup elimination left them to focus on the Premier League, where the New York Times said they were next in action against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday. Fleetwood moved into the quarter-finals, and the Guardian said the Cods would face Bristol Rovers on Saturday and Rochdale in the FA Cup. The Guardian also reported that the quarter-final draw takes place on Wednesday, after Liverpool v Chelsea, and it said the last-eight ties will be in the week starting 14 December.
The New York Times described the match as Arsenal’s shock defeat in a 66-year history Carabao Cup upset, with Arsenal held to a 1-1 draw and then losing 5-3 on penalties. Arteta said Arsenal had "a massive responsibility to carry this badge in the best possible way" and he argued the issue was not attitude but that Arsenal lacked other things to create a much bigger margin than the scoreline showed.