Fleetwood Town manager Matt Lawlor has praised Mikel Arteta for his conduct in the tunnel after Arsenal were knocked out of the Carabao Cup on penalties.
The reigning Premier League champions travelled to the fourth-round tie at Highbury Stadium expecting a comfortable progression to the quarter-finals. Despite fielding a strong starting eleven, they struggled against a determined Fleetwood side.
Arsenal's Cup Exit
A defensive error allowed Aaron Loupalo-Bi to give the hosts a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute, though Arteta's side hit back early in the second half as Viktor Gyokeres bundled home the equaliser. Fleetwood remained resolute, and in the 85th minute teenage sensation Max Dowman received a straight red card following an incident with opposition defender Harrison Neal.
Spot-kicks ultimately settled the tie, and Bruno Guimaraes' unsuccessful attempt presented Fleetwood with the opportunity to create history. Conor Haughey stepped up to convert the fifth penalty and eliminate the stunned champions in an extraordinary upset.
Lawlor's Praise for Arteta
Lawlor praised Arteta for his behaviour in the aftermath of the defeat. "He shook my hand two or three times and he was really, really gracious. I can imagine it's a really disappointing night for him," said Lawlor.
"But the way that he acted there, with class, is amazing. I would love to catch up with him and pick his brains, but he's been really busy with media and all the emotions that come with it. We've not managed to cross paths, but he said well done in the tunnel briefly and how well we did, which is obviously a show of class from him."
Arteta's Response
Arteta displayed equal dignity during his press conference after the defeat. "First of all, congratulations to Fleetwood. In the manner they did it, the atmosphere they created," he said.
"I have nothing to fault the players for their attitude and intensity throughout the game, with 11 and with 10, but when you are playing in that superior way, you have to give nothing to the opponent. When we create the volume of shots and chances we did, you have to score three, four or five. You capitalise on it. If you don't, there are no margins and that's the reality. Then you have to wait and get through the round on penalties and we didn't do that."
"The probability was low with the way the game was panning out, but it's football and still with low probability, there is always a chance you could be out of the cup. We are extremely sad - but at the same time we need to congratulate the opponent."
