The Odegaard Arsenal Fleetwood reaction came quickly and bluntly, as captain Martin Odegaard said Arsenal cannot feel sorry for themselves after their stunning League Cup exit at fourth-tier Fleetwood Town.
Arsenal, the Premier League champions, crashed out 5-3 on penalties after the fourth-round tie finished 1-1 in normal time at Fleetwood’s Highbury Stadium on Tuesday, October 27. It was one of the biggest upsets in the competition’s history, and Odegaard did not hide from it.
“It’s very frustrating to go out,” Odegaard said. “Obviously, the way we’ve played was not on the level. We need to do much, much better than we did.”
He added: “Frustrating, but congratulations to Fleetwood and we look forward to the next game already and bounce back. They did well so we have to give them credit, but we need to do better. I thought we improved during the game, but again, we need to step up even more, so that’s a shame.”
Odegaard Arsenal Fleetwood reaction: what happened in the tie
Fleetwood took the lead through Aaron Loupalo-Bi’s first-half goal. Viktor Gyokeres equalised for Arsenal after the interval, but the visitors could not find a winner in normal time.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made nine changes to his starting side. After a ragged first-half display, he sent Norway midfielder Odegaard on for the second period. Arsenal improved, but still missed several chances before teenage rising star Max Dowman was sent off five minutes from the end of normal time.
In the shoot-out, Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch saved Bruno Guimaraes’ penalty. Teenage defender Conor Haughey then scored Fleetwood’s winner, sealing a 5-3 win. Fleetwood had made a mockery of the 84 places between the clubs in the English football pyramid.
Odegaard, who came on at half-time, spoke for a dressing room that had expected to progress. His message was simple: accept the defeat, credit the winners, and move on. “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,” he said.
The Liverpool test that follows
That next game is a tough one. Arsenal travel to Liverpool on Sunday, with the Gunners having drawn level on points with Premier League leaders Manchester City last weekend.
The timing makes the Fleetwood defeat harder to shake off, but also gives Arsenal a fast route back. A strong performance at Anfield would change the story of the week. Another poor display would raise questions about depth, after a much-changed side lost to a fourth-tier club.
Arteta’s nine changes will be part of that debate. Rotation is normal in the League Cup, but the first-half display at Fleetwood was ragged, and the side needed Odegaard’s second-half presence to steady it.
The Dowman red card and the appeal
A separate issue from the tie is also still open. British media reported on Wednesday that Arsenal would lodge an appeal against Dowman’s red card with the Football Association, and were hopeful of a decision before the trip to Anfield.
Dowman, 16, was dismissed for kicking out at Harrison Neal following a heavy challenge by the Fleetwood midfielder. Arteta gave the teenager a strong word as he walked off, and was asked afterwards what he had told him.
“Something that we discussed already before the match,” Arteta said when asked about the exchange.
An appeal, if successful, would clear Dowman for selection. If it fails, Arsenal will be without the teenager for the next match. Either way, the incident is a footnote to a night that belonged to Fleetwood, whose players and supporters celebrated one of the club’s greatest results.
For Arsenal, the League Cup is gone. The Premier League title race is not. Odegaard’s reaction recognised both facts at once: the defeat was poor, Fleetwood deserved credit, and the only useful response is a better display on Sunday.
Feature Pakistan earlier reported on Arsenal’s League Cup exit after the Fleetwood shock and on a meeting between Michael Carrick and Bruno Fernandes at Manchester United.
Frequently asked questions
What did Odegaard say after the Fleetwood defeat?
He said Arsenal cannot feel sorry for themselves, must move on quickly, and need to do much better than they did at Fleetwood.
