Fleetwood Town delivered a sensational Carabao Cup upset by knocking out Premier League champions Arsenal on penalties following a 1-1 draw in normal time. The last-16 clash unraveled for the Gunners after 16-year-old winger Max Dowman was sent off for the first time in his senior career. Despite dominating the contest with 78% possession and registering 26 shots, Mikel Arteta's side fell behind and were ultimately ousted by an opponent residing 84 places below them in the football pyramid.
Dowman’s dismissal occurred after the teenager reacted to a heavy challenge from Harrison Neal, moving his leg toward the Fleetwood player and leaving referee Michael Salisbury with a clear decision to make. The red card was Dowman's second dismissal this month, having also been sent off while representing England Under-19s during the recent international break. Arteta gave the youngster a scathing look and spoke angrily to him as he headed down the tunnel, later explaining: "When we prepared the context of the match, we were very clear on the things to respect, the things that emotionally we have to dominate. It was very clear."
Arteta's reaction drew sharp scrutiny from former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson on Sky Sports, who argued the manager should have put an arm around the teenager rather than admonishing him, questioning whether an established international like Viktor Gyokeres would have received the same treatment. Arteta had named an experimental starting lineup featuring 18-year-old debutant Ceadach O'Neill, 17-year-old centre-back Marli Salmon, and goalkeeper Illan Meslier making his first start, blended with seasoned stars such as Gyokeres, Kai Havertz, and World Cup winner Martin Zubimendi. However, even bringing captain Martin Odegaard and £75m signing Bruno Guimaraes off the bench could not prevent Arsenal from extending their 33-year drought in the League Cup.
The costly cup exit leaves Arsenal facing an acute shortage out wide ahead of Sunday's meeting with Liverpool. With Dowman now facing a suspension, Bukayo Saka sidelined for around six weeks, Christos Tzolis working to make his return, and Noni Madueke unavailable due to injury, Arteta's options on the wings have been stretched remarkably thin.