Arteta rues missed chances as Fleetwood send Arsenal out on penalties

Mikel Arteta said Arsenal’s elimination by Fleetwood Town from the fourth round of the Carabao Cup was a “very sad day” after the fourth-tier side won a penalty shootout.

The Arsenal manager congratulated Fleetwood on reaching the next round following the match, which was decided 5-3 on penalties.

“First of all, congratulations to Fleetwood on reaching the next round,” Arteta told BBC Radio 5 Live, in comments reported by Tribuna. “For the way they achieved it, and for us, it is a very sad day.”

Arsenal conceded the opening goal in the 21st minute before recovering to equalise in the second half. The Gunners continued to search for a winner until the final whistle but could not find one, leaving the tie to be settled from the spot.

Arteta insisted his players could not be criticised for their 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. Even after we played with 10 players, we conceded a really poor goal at the beginning, which gave them some momentum.”

The Spaniard felt Arsenal had created enough opportunities to win the game in normal time.

“The team kept trying with the ball, creating chances and taking shots that should have helped us score many more goals,” he added.

However, Arsenal’s failure to convert those opportunities ultimately proved decisive.

“When you do not take your chances, you cannot qualify for the next round,” Arteta said. “Unfortunately, we are out of the competition.”

Fleetwood Town scored all five of their penalties, while Arsenal’s Bruno Guimaraes saw his attempt saved by the Fleetwood goalkeeper. That was the only miss of the shootout, allowing the League Two side to secure a notable victory and send Arsenal out of the Carabao Cup.