Fleetwood knock Arsenal out of League Cup on penalties
Fourth-tier Fleetwood beat Premier League champions Arsenal 5-3 on penalties in the League Cup fourth round, leaving Mikel Arteta admitting it was a painful night.
Arsenal were knocked out of the League Cup by fourth-tier Fleetwood Town on Tuesday night, losing 5-3 on penalties after the fourth-round tie ended 1-1, according to IOL, citing AFP.
How the upset unfolded
Aaron Loupalo-Bi put Fleetwood ahead in the first half. Viktor Gyokeres levelled for Arsenal after the break, but the Premier League champions could not find a winner in normal time.
In the shoot-out, Bruno Guimaraes had his penalty saved by Jay Lynch. Conor Haughey then scored the decisive kick for Fleetwood, and jubilant home fans invaded the pitch.
Arsenal also finished the match with ten players. Sixteen-year-old midfielder Max Dowman was sent off late on for violent conduct after aiming a kick towards Harrison Neal. Arteta said he preferred to watch the incident back before judging it, and revealed it was something the club had already discussed with the player before the match.
Arteta and Lawlor react
Arteta had made nine changes, a decision linked to Sunday’s Premier League trip to Liverpool. He congratulated Fleetwood and called the result “a very sad day”. He said he could not fault his players’ attitude, but felt a poor opening goal gave Fleetwood momentum and that Arsenal failed to make their chances count.
“It’s football, that’s the beauty of this competition,” he said.
The defeat interrupted a strong spell for Arsenal. They had drawn level on points with leaders Manchester City after a 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday, and had won 11 of their previous 13 games.
Fleetwood manager Matt Lawlor said he could hardly believe the result. His side, 84 places below Arsenal in the English football system, sat deep and attacked on the counter. Lawlor said the team knew it would not out-play the best side in the country and had to “ride our luck” and deny Arsenal space.
He admitted he was in tears at the final whistle and said he was glad the players had made the town and the club proud.
What happens next
Arsenal now turn their attention to the league, with the trip to Liverpool on Sunday. For South African fans who follow the Premier League, that match will show how the champions respond to one of the more embarrassing results in the club’s history. Fleetwood go through to the next round of the League Cup.
This story is based on reporting by IOL.
