Arsenal have been handed another away tie in the Carabao Cup, with League Two Fleetwood Town standing between Mikel Arteta’s side and a place in the quarter-finals.
Arsenal will travel to Fleetwood Town in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup after the Gunners learned their next opponents on Wednesday night.
It is a very different assignment from the one Arsenal might have expected when the draw began. Fleetwood are the lowest-ranked side left in the competition and have reached the fourth round for the first time in their history after beating Championship side Sheffield United 1-0 at Highbury Stadium.
That result ensured the League Two club would be involved in the last 16 before Arsenal’s ball was paired with them later in the evening.
For Arteta, it also means a second successive away game in the Carabao Cup after facing Ipswich Town on Tuesday.
The Gunners entered in the third round because of their European commitments and made nine changes at Portman Road, with several regular starters either rested completely or given reduced minutes.
Despite the heavy rotation, the Gunners found the match comfortable enough. Max Dowman scored twice in the 4-2 victory, with Noni Madueke and Mikel Merino also adding their names to the scoresheet as Arsenal established a four-goal lead. Ipswich pulled two goals back late in the game, but it wasn't enough to make a difference against the Premier League champions.
Dowman’s performance took much of the attention following the match, but the result also showed why Arteta has greater room to rotate this season. Arsenal were able to change most of the side and still name a team containing significant senior experience and talent to compete against fellow Premier League opposition.
That could become relevant again at Fleetwood, particularly with the fourth round falling during another busy part of the calendar.
The setting will be markedly different from the grounds the Gunners usually visit. Highbury Stadium holds just over 5,000 supporters, while Fleetwood will approach the tie with nothing to lose, having already knocked out opposition from a higher division on their way to a historic fourth-round appearance.
Their reward is one of the biggest home games available in the draw by welcoming the Premier League Champions.
When Will Fleetwood vs Arsenal Be Played?
The fourth-round ties are scheduled for the week commencing Monday, October 26, although the exact date and kick-off time have not yet been confirmed. Those details will follow once broadcast selections and the competing clubs’ other commitments have been taken into account.
The timing may encourage Arteta to rotate heavily once again. Arsenal face Everton at the Emirates on October 24 and then travel to Anfield to play Liverpool on Sunday, November 1.
That makes the opportunity for Arteta to rotate his squad against a lower league side particularly useful. Several regular starters can be rested or given reduced minutes without taking the competition lightly.
