Arsenal crash out of Carabao Cup on penalties to Fleetwood Town

Arsenal crashed out of the Carabao Cup after losing 5-3 on penalties to League Two side Fleetwood Town on Tuesday night at Highbury Stadium. The Gunners fell behind to Aaron Loupalo-Bi's opener before Viktor Gyokeres equalized after halftime, but Bruno Guimaraes' missed spot kick sealed a shocking exit for Mikel Arteta's side.

Arteta admitted a "poor goal" conceded early handed momentum to the hosts, and praised his players' attitude even after going down to 10 men. The defeat ends Arsenal's domestic cup hopes early and raises questions about squad depth as they juggle Premier League and Champions League commitments.

For Nigerian fans watching the 8pm kickoff, this is a reality check: Arteta's rotation policy backfired against lower-league opposition. With title rivals Manchester City and Liverpool still in the competition, Arsenal now have fewer routes to silverware this season.

Does this early exit signal deeper issues in Arteta's project, or is it just a bad night that comes with rotating a stretched squad?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/10/28/carabao-cup-why-arsenal-lost-to-fleetwood-town-arteta/