I planned to write the preview for the Women’s game with Benfica after work this evening (Tuesday), but having gotten home, I feel like I need to purge my thoughts on the men’s game before moving on.

I frankly couldn’t give two fucks about the Carabao Cup, or whatever drink it is now. Perhaps it’s because I was still on my first trip around the sun the last time Arsenal won it. When I think about that competition, I think of Henri Lansbury, Carlos Vela, Fran Merida, and Barry Ferguson (twat) gleefully rubbing Laurent Koscielny’s head after the Frenchman’s last-minute blunder with Wojciech Szczesny (twats).

In the absence of shit-giving, I’m able to find room to be happy for Fleetwood. Except for the donkey who flew through the back of Max Dowman, and the 30-year-old who then grabbed the teenager by the collar.

Twats.

On Dowman’s sending off: I’ve heard some suggest that it was harsh, but having been frustrated to see Cole Palmer get away with the same thing on Saturday, I can’t really make a case for him. I don’t blame the teenager at all for reacting the way he did, but I didn’t like Arteta’s reaction, especially with Dowman having been man-handled the way he was just moments earlier. He needs to learn, and he will, but that was a lonely moment for such a young player.

Some have suggested Arsenal should appeal the red, and there could be grounds given that Palmer got away with his reaction against Spurs, although that would require some consistency (ha). It might be worth a go anyway, as even a one-game reprieve would help given our dire situation out wide at the moment.

It’s easy in hindsight to say that Arteta made a mistake with his team selection, but I think Arteta made a mistake with his team selection. Nothing tactical, as any set-up should have been good enough to win that game; but having publicly stated the importance of mentality, the decision to leave out all of his obvious leaders was a strange one.

This Arsenal team has a lot of character, but there is a big difference between character and leadership. With multiple teenagers in the starting lineup, the fact that Odegaard, Guimaraes, and Konsa all started on the bench was, in my opinion, a horrible mistake. There are so many things to consider when picking a formation and lineup each game, but the one thing that had to be right was the mentality.

Beating a League 2 side away from home in midweek was never going to be about skill, it was about turning up and putting in a professional performance to make sure they got the job done. Arteta claimed after the game that there was no lack of effort or desire, but I don’t agree with him there, either.

The manager also listed a variety of injuries as reasons for the absence of several other senior players. I expect some of that would have been pre-planned mind games ahead of Liverpool at the weekend, and it may be true to an extent, but I’m not convinced those injuries kept them out of contention for this one. Ultimately, the manager preached respect for the competition and for the opposition before fielding an incredibly diluted team, and it backfired.

I don’t think the result will impact the Liverpool game in a negative way. If anything, I would expect it to serve as a well-timed kick up the arse, but our goal-scoring options worry me a lot. Both strikers were atrocious at Fleetwood and I would genuinely prefer to see Mikel Merino lead the line at Anfield. Beyond that, Madueke and Eze are the only real options out wide with Dowman suspended, placing Ceadach O’Neill in contention for Premier League minutes.

I was impressed with O’Neill, and felt he was offering far more than almost any of his teammates before he was substituted. If Gyokeres possessed the savvy to work a yard for himself in the box against League 2 opposition, maybe one or two of the Northern Irishmen’s crosses would have ended up in the net.

I’ve now fully given up on Gyokeres. His persistent hiding at the back post and complete lack of movement in the area hasn’t improved at all since he arrived at the club. I’ve put it down to confidence; I’ve waited for the coaches to work on that side of his game, but nothing has changed, and the fact that he struggled so badly against players of that calibre was the final straw for me.

Football never stops and Arsenal have no choice but to move on and focus on their next games, but some moments stick with you, and there’s no way Arteta won’t carry this loss into the January window. We didn’t lose to Fleetwood due to a lack of talent, but the nature of the loss makes those performances stand out, and both strikers were embarrassing last night.

On a more positive note: congratulations to Bukayo Saka for winning the Socrates award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London this week. I’m not watching the ceremony (I believe it’s nearly finished) and I didn’t know the Socrates award existed, but if there was an award purpose-built for the England winger, it’s that one.

I’ll leave it there for now. The Benfica preview will be a little later than planned, but it’ll be available some time today. Best of luck dealing with the work banter this week, and fingers crossed those ‘injured’ players are fit for Sunday.