League Two Fleetwood Town Hosts Arsenal in Carabao Cup Last 16 Tie

Arsenal travel to League Two side Fleetwood Town on Tuesday, Oct. 27, for a Carabao Cup fourth-round tie at Highbury Stadium, with kickoff at 8 p.m. BST. That is 4 p.m. ET and 1 p.m. PT, and U.S. viewers can stream it on Paramount Plus, according to CNET.

Fleetwood, a fourth-tier club, has never reached this stage of the competition before. Arsenal, by contrast, have never played Fleetwood in any competition, and the club described the trip as its first to Fleetwood's home ground.

How a fourth-tier club reached the last 16

According to Arsenal's match preview, Fleetwood beat fellow League Two sides Chesterfield and Shrewsbury Town before facing Championship side Sheffield United at home. A Rhys Norrington-Davies own goal decided that game and put Fleetwood into the round of 16 for the first time in its history. Arsenal also noted that Fleetwood have not conceded in the competition this season.

League form has been far weaker. CNET reported that a 2-1 defeat at Exeter City at the weekend was Fleetwood's fifth loss of the season and left the club 18th in League Two. Arsenal's preview said Fleetwood have won only three league matches and just one of their last eight.

Fleetwood manager Matt Lawlor said his players should be excited by the occasion rather than overawed. He said the club had earned a game like this after a run of difficult rounds, and he said of the visitors that “the champions are coming to town.”

Arsenal's rotated lineup

USA Today reported that Arsenal sit second in the Premier League, level on points with leader Manchester City, after a 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday. Goals from Ezri Konsa and Gabriel decided that game. Manager Mikel Arteta has rotated heavily with a trip to Liverpool coming on Saturday, according to USA Today.

The confirmed lineup, per USA Today:

• Goalkeeper: Meslier
• Defense: Timber, Mosquera, Salmon, Hincapie
• Midfield: Zubimendi, Lewis-Skelly
• Attacking midfield: O'Neill, Dowman, Havertz
• Forward: Gyokeres

Max Dowman, who scored twice in the previous round at Ipswich at the age of 16 years and 258 days, starts. Eighteen-year-old Ceadach O'Neill gets his first start for the club, USA Today reported.

Bukayo Saka and William Saliba are out. Saka has not played since leaving the pitch 10 minutes into last week's 2-2 draw at Bayern Munich with a quad injury, and USA Today said reports suggest he could be sidelined for several weeks. USA Today listed Riccardo Calafiori and Christos Tzolis as doubts, while Arsenal's own preview put Tzolis on the treatment table.

Arteta said in the preview that Arsenal's reputation and pride are at stake in every match, especially against a team from a lower division. He said the club must respect every opponent and keep its basics and habits at a very high level.

What Fleetwood can threaten Arsenal with

Analyst Adrian Clarke, writing for Arsenal's website, said Lawlor's team usually plays a 3-1-4-2 formation that can shift into a 5-4-1. He described Fleetwood as the best pressing team in League Two and said they have scored six league goals from set pieces. He also pointed to midfielder Mark Helm, who has created 23 chances, 10 more than any teammate.

Arsenal's preview also gave some history. Fleetwood are winless in all five of their matches against top-flight opponents (one draw, four defeats). Arsenal have progressed from eight of their nine previous League Cup ties against fourth-tier sides. The exception was a loss to Bradford City on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

What this means for fans watching

For U.S. viewers, the match is a mid-afternoon Eastern start on a Tuesday. CNET said Paramount Plus carries it, with an Essential plan at $9 per month that includes ads and a Premium plan at $14 per month that removes them.

In the U.K., CNET reported that Sky Sports is showing the tie on its Sky Sports Plus service, which Sky customers can stream through the Sky Go app. People without a Sky package can use Now, which offers a day pass for £15 or monthly plans from £35.

In Canada, DAZN holds exclusive rights to the match, according to CNET. In Australia, the game is on BeIN Sports 2 and the BeIN Sports Connect service, with a 7 a.m. AEDT kickoff on Wednesday.

For Fleetwood supporters, the tie is a rare home meeting with a top-flight club. For Arsenal, it is a chance to give minutes to younger and fringe players, which CNET said Arteta was expected to do, before the league match at Liverpool.

Around Prague, based on reporting by Arsenal.com, CNET, USA Today