Arsenal were eliminated from the Carabao Cup by fourth-tier Fleetwood Town after losing 5-3 on penalties, with manager Mikel Arteta describing the result as “a very sad day”.
The League Two side earned a place in the fourth round after holding Arsenal to a draw through normal time before converting all of their penalties in the shootout.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live after the match, in comments reported by Tribune, Arteta congratulated Fleetwood Town on their progress.
“First of all, congratulations to Fleetwood for reaching the next round,” said the Arsenal manager. “For the way they achieved it, and for us, it is a very sad day.”
Arsenal fell behind in the 21st minute but eventually found an equaliser after the interval. The Gunners continued to search for a winning goal before the final whistle, creating opportunities without finding the decisive finish.
Arteta said he had no complaints about his players’ attitude or commitment during the match.
“There is nothing to criticise the players for in terms of their attitude and commitment,” he said. “The determination was clear from the beginning.”
He added: “Even after we played with 10 men, we conceded a really poor goal early on, which gave them some belief.”
According to Arteta, Arsenal created enough opportunities to have settled the tie before penalties.
“The team kept trying with the ball, creating chances and taking shots that should have helped us score many more goals,” he said.
However, Arsenal’s failure to take those opportunities ultimately proved costly.
“But when you do not take your chances, you cannot go through to the next round,” Arteta said. “Unfortunately, we are out of the competition.”
The shootout remained level until Bruno Guimaraes saw his effort saved by the Fleetwood Town goalkeeper. Fleetwood then scored each of their penalties to complete a notable victory and send Arsenal out of the tournament.
Fleetwood’s reward is a place in the next round, while Arsenal’s attention now turns to their domestic schedule. Fleetwood are listed to face Bristol Rovers in the English third division on 31 October 2026, while Liverpool are listed to play Arsenal in the Premier League on 1 November 2026.
