Arsenal were eliminated from the League Cup by Fleetwood Town, a fourth-tier side, after the tie finished 1-1 and went to a penalty shootout, Eurosport reported on Tuesday. The match was played at Fleetwood's ground, with L'Équipe listing the final score as 1-1.
The evening was unusual beyond the result. According to Foot Mercato, the match was stopped at one point because of a drone. Sports - Orange reported that goalkeeper Meslier returned to the side as Arsenal went out to a fourth-division club.
Ahead of the game, Mikel Arteta had warned his players not to take the opposition lightly. Yahoo Actualités reported that the Arsenal manager framed the fixture in terms of pride, telling his squad that their self-respect was on the line against Fleetwood.
The defeat puts Arsenal out of the competition at the hands of a team from the lowest of the four professional divisions in England. The result follows Arteta's pre-match caution rather than contradicting it, and it leaves the League Cup without one of its better-known entrants.
What to watch next: how Arsenal respond in their following fixture, and whether Arteta addresses the exit publicly.