Fleetwood Town will host Arsenal at Highbury Stadium on Tuesday evening in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
Matt Lawlor’s side have reached the competition’s last 16 for the first time in the club’s history, following victories over Chesterfield, Shrewsbury Town and, most recently, a 1-0 win over Sheffield United, with the Cod Army yet to concede a goal in this season’s cup run.
Meanwhile, Arsenal entered the cup in the third round, claiming a 4-2 victory at Ipswich Town as 16-year-old Max Dowman scored the first brace of his senior career, with the Gunners looking to chase their first League Cup title since 1993.
Despite their impressive cup run, Fleetwood Town currently sit 18th in League Two, having won just one of their last five league matches. Last time out, Town suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat at Exeter City, in a match which saw all three goals scored within six minutes of one another.
Mikel Arteta’s side currently sit level with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League following a comfortable 2-0 victory against Everton on Saturday, with the Gunners having dropped points just once this season, a heavy defeat away to Brighton.
Lewis McCann has proven to be an integral part of Fleetwood Town’s squad. Standing at 6″2, McCann showcases strong aerial defence, having won 100% of his aerial duels in the league, as well as assisting twice across all competitions.
With both Bukayo Saka and Christos Tzolis injured, Arteta confirmed that Dowman would get minutes during tomorrow night’s fixture. The 16-year-old has made several first-team appearances for Arsenal, becoming the youngest Premier League goalscorer following his stoppage-time goal against Everton last season.
Arsenal come into the clash facing an injury crisis, with key players such as Saka, Tzolis, William Saliba, Piero Hincapie, and Riccardo Calafiori out for the match. Calafiori was introduced off the bench in the second half of Saturday’s match, though he headed straight down the tunnel at full time, with Arteta confirming that the defender had picked up a minor problem.
Tomorrow evening will mark the first meeting between the sides, and despite being no strangers to Highbury, it will be the first time the Gunners travel to Fleetwood in the club’s history.
Kick-off is scheduled for 8pm BST on Tuesday, October 27th and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event.