By Karim Hammam
Arsenal suffered a shock Carabao Cup exit at the hands of League Two side Fleetwood on Tuesday, losing on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Highbury Stadium.
Half-time change sparks improvement
Manager Mikel Arteta made nine changes to his starting lineup, and Arsenal trailed to Aaron Loupalo-Bi's 21st-minute strike. The introduction of Norway midfielder Martin Odegaard at half-time transformed Arsenal's midfield control, and Viktor Gyokeres soon levelled with his first goal of the campaign.
Late drama and penalties
Arsenal squandered several chances to take the lead before Max Dowman was sent off in the 85th minute for kicking out at an opponent. Fleetwood goalkeeper Lynch then made two crucial saves in injury time to force a shootout. Bruno Guimaraes missed Arsenal's decisive penalty, and teenage defender Conor Haughey converted the winning kick to send the hosts into the quarter-finals.
Odegaard demands reaction
"It's very frustrating to go out. Obviously, the way we've played was not on the level. We need to do much, much better," Odegaard said. "We can't feel sorry for ourselves. We need to move on – we have a big game at the weekend, so bouncing back at the weekend is all we can do now."
Arteta gracious in defeat
Arteta, who won this competition twice as part of Pep Guardiola's staff at Manchester City, congratulated Fleetwood. "That is why football is entertainment, especially in this competition and in this country. They believe in it and the people have it because of the history. We didn't want to go through this and we are extremely sad but we need to congratulate the opponent."
Anfield test awaits
Arsenal travel to Liverpool at Anfield this weekend aiming to erase the disappointment and maintain pressure at the top of the Premier League after drawing level with Manchester City in their previous match.
