Arsenal suffered a shock Carabao Cup exit, losing 5-3 on penalties to fourth-tier Fleetwood Town after a 1-1 draw in their fourth-round clash on Tuesday.

The Gunners failed to find a winner in normal time before Fleetwood converted all five penalties to secure a remarkable victory and book their place in the quarterfinals.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted it was a disappointing day for his side but insisted he could not fault his players’ attitude despite their elimination.

“Congrats to Fleetwood, it’s a sad day for us. But I can’t fault the players’ attitude at all. I haven’t seen anybody not doing what is required at this level,” Arteta said.

Aaron Loupalo Bi gave Fleetwood the lead in the 21st minute before Viktor Gyökeres equalised for Arsenal five minutes into the second half.

Despite dominating possession and creating chances, the visitors couldn’t find a winner.

Reflecting on his side’s inability to convert their opportunities, Arteta said: “But we insisted so much, we had so much of the ball, so many chances, so many shots. This is football.”

Arsenal’s task grew harder when 16-year-old Max Dowman was sent off late in the match.

However, Arteta declined to judge the decision immediately, saying he wanted to review the incident first.

“I prefer to watch it back properly, and then I can assess the situation,” he said, adding: “We learn from everything, yeah…”

The defeat ends Arsenal’s Carabao Cup campaign, while Fleetwood advance to the quarter-finals after securing one of the competition’s biggest upsets.