Arsenal recorded their lowest attendance for a first-team fixture at the Emirates Stadium in Wednesday night’s League Cup meeting with Doncaster Rovers.

The top tier of the Emirates Stadium was notably empty on Wednesday as Arsenal took on League 1 opposition in the Carabao Cup. According to the Daily Mail, Arsenal’s attendance that night was just 44,064 – the lowest attendance recorded for a first-team competitive fixture.

Despite Arsenal lowering ticket prices to £10 for an adult and £5 for a child, fans didn’t fancy watching a much-changed side playing a lower league opponent in a rather pointless cup competition on a Wednesday night. It should be noted that this was part of a general trend amongst Premier League grounds this week.

Tottenham, for example, saw a 41,540 decrease from their recent Premier League fixture against Swansea for their 1-0 win over Barnsley on Tuesday. Manchester United also saw their attendance fall a considerable 20,786.

It simply suggests that a combination of lower standard of opposition, a not very prestigious competition and mid-week late evening kick-offs doesn’t attract the biggest crowd. Notably, Arsenal’s previous lowest attendance was also in the League Cup, back when the Gunners played League 2 Shrewsbury in 2011. The attendance that night was 46,539.