Arsenal eliminated by Fleetwood before Liverpool fixture

Arsenal were eliminated from the Carabao Cup by Fleetwood after Mikel Arteta’s side lost at Highbury Stadium, leaving the team with a defeat before its Premier League match against Liverpool at Anfield the following weekend. The result came after Arteta had warned his players to respect Fleetwood and maintain the standards needed to win. Before the match, he said Arsenal’s basics and habits had to be strong against an opponent from a different division. His comments were part of a broader call to treat the tie seriously. Arsenal made nine changes for the Fleetwood game, according to a match report, but still fielded several established first-team players. The report said Arteta later brought on five players expected to start against Liverpool. The defeat therefore came despite changes intended to manage the squad ahead of the Anfield fixture. The match report also said Max Dowman was shown a straight red card after a dangerous tackle. Dowman had been expected to start after scoring twice against Ipswich, according to Arteta’s pre-match plans reported before the tie. The report said Arteta spoke to the teenager as he left the field. Viktor Gyökeres started against Fleetwood...