Arsenal Lose to League Two Fleetwood on Penalties and Are Out of the Carabao Cup

Mikel Arteta made changes. Declan Rice, Gabriel and David Raya were absent, and Gyokeres and Kai Havertz started up front. Arsenal were without three regulars and took until the second half to respond to going behind. They had chances to finish the tie in 90 minutes and did not take them, which Arteta acknowledged afterward when he said the attitude of his players could not be faulted but that they had to score to avoid a shootout.

Why was Max Dowman sent off?

With about five minutes left, the teenager Max Dowman was shown a red card, which Extra Time Talk described as for violent conduct. ESPN said Arsenal were reportedly appealing the decision. Reduced to ten men, Arsenal reached the shootout but lost it from the spot, with Guimaraes' miss proving fatal.

The tie was level at 1-1 after 90 minutes and, with no extra time in this round, went straight to penalties. Arsenal scored three of theirs to Fleetwood's five. Arteta called it a really sad day for his club. Lawlor, whose side is a long way from the Premier League, could hardly believe it and called it the biggest night in Fleetwood's history.

What does the loss mean for Arsenal?

It removes one competition from Arsenal's season and does so against opponents from the fourth tier, which makes it harder to shrug off. The shootout also exposed a squad that was missing Rice, Gabriel and Raya and was reduced to ten men.

The appeal over Dowman's red card is the next thing to watch, because a suspension could follow him into the weeks that matter. For Fleetwood the reward is simpler, a place in the quarter-finals and a night that the town will talk about for years. A side from the fourth tier, 18th in its own division, took the champions to the end of the night and was the steadier of the two from 12 yards.