Arteta distraught after League Cup exit to fourth-tier Fleetwood: "If that was the problem, I'd be furious..."
Premier League champions Arsenal were beaten by Fleetwood Town on penalties after a 1–1 draw; manager Mikel Arteta defended his players' commitment.
On October 28, 2026, Arsenal suffered one of the season's biggest shocks when the Premier League champions were knocked out of the League Cup by Fleetwood Town, a club from England's fourth tier.
Match and shootout
The tie finished 1:1 after 90 minutes — Fleetwood took an early lead before Arsenal levelled in the 50th minute — and the outcome was decided on penalties, where the underdogs held their nerve to progress.
After the game Mikel Arteta, the manager who led Arsenal to the domestic title, sought explanations but was careful about placing blame on his players. He praised Fleetwood's performance and stressed the emotional impact on his squad.
Arteta said: "First of all, I want to congratulate Fleetwood for their qualification. They achieved it in their own way. This is an extremely tough and sad moment for us. I have nothing against the players when it comes to commitment and I did not see anyone who wasn't at the required level. We had control of the possession, we created many chances and we often shot at goal. If you want to avoid penalties you have to take your chances. We didn't do that, and football is like that. In these competitions differences are often erased, especially when the opponent takes the lead and gains confidence. That's football and that's the charm of these competitions, especially in England."
He added: "If the problem was the approach to the game, I would be furious. Now I'm just sad, we're all down in the dressing room. We always have the duty to defend the reputation of this club. The effort, the commitment and the desire to win were not missing. We simply lacked that final spark to bring the game to a calm ending. Judging by what we showed on the pitch, the final outcome had to be completely different."
The defeat represents a notable upset for Arsenal and will intensify scrutiny of a side expected to compete on multiple fronts this season.
Photo: Maryland GovPics / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
