Fleetwood Town pulled off a stunning Carabao Cup upset, knocking out Premier League champions Arsenal on penalties after holding Mikel Arteta’s side to a 1-1 draw in a dramatic encounter at Highbury Stadium.
The hosts, ranked 84 places below Arsenal in the English football pyramid, stunned the visitors when Aaron Loupalo-Bi opened the scoring in the 21st minute, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
Arsenal struggled to turn their dominance into goals despite creating numerous chances. Viktor Gyökeres restored parity four minutes into the second half, but the Gunners failed to find a winner despite registering 26 shots.
Their hopes suffered another blow in the 86th minute when 16-year-old Max Dowman was sent off for kicking out at Harrison Neal following a heavy challenge.
Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch then produced crucial late saves to deny Ben White and Martin Ødegaard, forcing the tie into a penalty shootout.
Arsenal’s nightmare was completed when Lynch saved Bruno Guimarães’ spot-kick before Conor Haughey converted the decisive penalty to seal a memorable victory for Fleetwood.
The final whistle sparked wild celebrations, with supporters flooding the pitch and manager Matt Lawlor breaking down in tears.
Fleetwood’s defenders had battled relentlessly to contain Arsenal’s attacking pressure, while the hosts showed greater composure from the penalty spot to secure one of the biggest shocks in the competition’s history.
Fleetwood will discover their quarter-final opponents after Wednesday’s clash between Chelsea and Liverpool, while Arsenal are left to reflect on a humiliating cup exit.
