Ødegaard Warns Arsenal After Shock EFL Cup Exit: "We Need to Step It Up"

Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard has stressed that his side must deliver far more as a team after their shock elimination from the EFL Cup round of 16 at the hands of League Two (fourth tier) club Fleetwood Town.

Mikel Arteta's side crashed out of the competition after a 1-1 draw in normal time, losing 5-3 on penalties. In the match at Highbury Stadium, Aaron Loupalo-Bi put Fleetwood ahead in the 21st minute, before Viktor Gyökeres equalised for Arsenal right at the start of the second half.

The turning point came five minutes from time. Young talent Max Dowman was sent off after reacting angrily to a challenge from Harrison Neal, and was met with a stern look and a warning from head coach Arteta as he walked off. In the shootout, goalkeeper Jay Lynch became the hero by saving Bruno Guimarães's effort, and Conor Haughey's spot-kick sealed a historic win for Fleetwood.

The result makes Fleetwood the sixth League Two side to knock a Premier League team out of the EFL Cup in the 4th round or later. Arsenal, meanwhile, became only the second holders in EFL Cup history to be eliminated by a League Two side (the first was Leeds United, beaten 3-0 by Chester City in 1974-75). It is also the first time in 34 years that Arsenal have lost to a fourth-tier side in a domestic cup, since their FA Cup exit against Wrexham in 1992.

A dejected Ødegaard said after the match: "Going out is extremely frustrating. The way we played was nowhere near our level. We have to do much, much better than what we did. Credit to Fleetwood, they fought really well. But the real issue was that we fell below our own standards. We need to focus on the next game and bounce back straight away. We improved as the game went on, but we need to give a lot more. This result is a huge disappointment."

After the shock exit, a very tough Premier League test awaits Arsenal. The London club, who are in the title race, travel to Anfield to face Liverpool at the weekend. Arsenal have failed to win any of their last 13 Premier League matches away at Liverpool (5 draws, 8 defeats).