Arsenal Crash Out of League Cup Despite Hincapié's Return to the Starting XI

A drone flying over the stadium was the first talking point of the night. The referee had to stop play before the match even got going in earnest, and only after a six-minute delay did the ball finally start rolling. What followed was one of those knockout ties that sting more than they first appear to: Fleetwood Town drew 1-1 with Arsenal and ended up knocking the Gunners out of the League Cup on penalties, winning the shootout 5-3.

The big news for Ecuadorian fans had a name: Piero Hincapié was back in the starting lineup. And it was no small return, since the defender hadn't started a match for Arsenal since May 30, the day of the Champions League final that the Gunners lost to PSG. Nearly five months later, Mikel Arteta gave him the full ninety minutes.

Hincapié lined up at left back, and from the first minute it was clear he wanted to contribute going forward. So much so that on a free kick he found himself open for a header, though the ball struck him in the back and sailed off target. Defensively, though, the Ecuadorian was solid: he won several duels against Ched Evans and Rhys Bennett and kept his flank essentially shut down. It was no coincidence that Fleetwood's danger always came from the other side, which is exactly where the home side's goal ended up originating.

Arsenal searched for the equalizer in the first half, and Hincapié pushed forward at times to contest balls and link up on crosses, but Fleetwood's defense held firm and nobody was able to find the net before the break.

In the second half, with Marli Salmon coming off, Hincapié had to shift into central defense, where he showed another side of his game: he won the aerial battle almost every time, and the team didn't struggle as much as it had in the first half. Late on, with the score still level, the Ecuadorian pushed forward to join the attack, linking up with Lewis-Skelly and Eberechi Eze in search of a winner.

Arsenal finished regulation down a man after Max Dowman was sent off, and still kept pushing until the final whistle without luck. In the shootout, Fleetwood were the sharper side, and it was Bruno Guimarães who missed for the visitors, sealing their elimination.

Hincapié's numbers paint a clear picture of his night: he played the full 90 minutes, delivered 3 key passes, completed passes at an 89% clip, won 5 of 7 aerial duels and added 2 recoveries and 5 clearances. A complete performance from a player who had spent months waiting for his shot at a starting spot.

The elimination stings given that Arsenal came in as the reigning Premier League champions, but there's little time to dwell on it: on Sunday they travel to face Liverpool in the Premier League, and it remains to be seen whether Arteta turns to Hincapié again from the start.