According to a report by BBC SPORT on Tuesday October 27, 2026, Arsenal suffered a shocking Carabao Cup elimination after losing 5-3 on penalties to Fleetwood Town following a 1-1 draw in normal time.

Viktor Gyokeres equalised after Aaron Loupalo-Bi opened the scoring, but the Gunners failed to find a winning goal before the penalty shootout. Max Dowman, Kai Havertz, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Martin Odegaard are among the players whose performances deserve scrutiny.

1. Max Dowman

Dowman endured a frustrating evening despite showing flashes of attacking intent. The youngster missed a promising opportunity in the 20th minute when he collected a loose ball inside the penalty area but fired well wide of the left post. He also failed to beat Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch with a weak effort from the edge of the box in the 73rd minute. His evening ended disappointingly when he received a red card in the 85th minute, leaving Arsenal with ten men during the closing stages.

2. Kai Havertz

Havertz struggled to make his opportunities count despite being involved in several promising attacks. He headed over the crossbar from a good position in the 40th minute and later sent a shot narrowly wide after receiving a pass from Martin Odegaard. The German also saw an effort cleared off the goal line in the 55th minute. Although he converted his penalty in the shootout, his inability to score during normal time contributed to Arsenal's failure to secure victory.

3. Myles Lewis-Skelly

Lewis-Skelly failed to make a significant impact before being substituted in the 82nd minute. His attempt from the edge of the penalty area in the 56th minute flew well wide, wasting an opportunity to test the Fleetwood goalkeeper. He also had a pass blocked shortly after the restart. Arsenal needed greater attacking quality to break down their opponents, but the youngster struggled to provide it.

4. Martin Odegaard

Odegaard returned at half-time and helped Arsenal improve their attacking play, but he could not inspire a decisive breakthrough. His corner delivery in the 72nd minute failed to create a clear opportunity, while his late effort from the edge of the box was comfortably saved by Lynch. Although he scored his penalty, Arsenal's captain could not prevent the disappointing elimination.