Mikel Arteta called it a "very sad day" after Arsenal crashed out of the Carabao Cup fourth round against Fleetwood Town, one of the clubs in England's fourth tier, with a penalty shootout sending the Gunners packing.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live after the match, in comments carried by Tribuna, Arteta said: "First of all, I congratulate Fleetwood on reaching the next round. In terms of the way they did it, and for us, it is a very sad day."
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The Spanish manager added: "There is nothing I can criticise the players for in terms of their attitude and commitment. The determination was clear from the start. And even after we played with ten men, we conceded a very poor goal early on, which gave them some encouragement."
He continued: "The team kept trying with the ball, creating the chances and shots that should have helped us score far more goals."
"But when you don't take your chances, you can't reach the next round," Arteta went on. "Unfortunately, we are out of the competition."
Fleetwood struck first in the 21st minute. Arsenal had to wait until the second half to draw level.
The Gunners chased a winner right up to the final whistle but never found it, and the tie went to penalties, which Fleetwood won 5-3. Bruno Guimaraes saw his effort saved by the Fleetwood Town goalkeeper, while the hosts tucked away every one of their spot-kicks to knock Arsenal out and march into the next round.