Arteta: It’s a very sad day for us

Arsenal have suffered a shock defeat in the round of 16 of the English League Cup.

Their opponents were Fleetwood, a club from the fourth tier of English football. The match ended 1-1 after 90 minutes, with Fleetwood winning 5-3 on penalties.

“Congratulations to Fleetwood on reaching the next round. They did it in the way they could. It’s a very sad day for us.

I have no complaints about the players’ attitude. I didn’t see anyone who failed to do what was required at this level. We had a lot of possession, created numerous chances and took plenty of shots. If you want to avoid a penalty shootout, you have to take those chances. We didn’t, and that’s football.

Do the teams’ chances often become more equal in cup competitions? Yes, especially when the opposition takes the lead and gains the initiative. Throughout the game, we hardly allowed them to create any chances, while we created plenty ourselves but failed to take them.

In the end, everything comes down to the smallest details. That’s football, and that’s the beauty of these competitions, especially in this country,” Arteta said, as quoted by the London club’s official website.