League Two side Fleetwood Town produced one of the biggest upsets in Carabao Cup history by knocking out Premier League champions Arsenal on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Highbury Stadium.
Aaron Loupalo-Bi gave the hosts a shock lead in the 21st minute, finishing past Illan Meslier after outpacing Marli Salmon. The match had already been interrupted for around eight minutes early on when a drone was spotted above the ground, forcing the players off the pitch.
Arsenal improved after the break following the introduction of Martin Ødegaard. Viktor Gyökeres equalised in the 50th minute, turning in a cross from Ceadach O’Neill for his first goal of the season. Despite pushing for a winner, the Gunners were unable to break down a resilient Fleetwood defence. Goalkeeper Jay Lynch made important saves, including late efforts from Ben White and Ødegaard.
Tempers flared late on as 16-year-old Max Dowman was shown a red card for violent conduct with five minutes remaining. The game finished level, and the tie went to a penalty shootout.
Fleetwood were clinical from the spot. Ronan Coughlan, Harrison Neal, Will Davies, Andy Cannon and Conor Haughey all converted. Arsenal scored through Ødegaard, Kai Havertz and Gyökeres, but Bruno Guimarães saw his effort saved by Lynch. Haughey’s decisive kick sealed a 5-3 shootout victory and sparked celebrations among the home supporters.
The result sends Fleetwood, currently 18th in League Two, into the quarter-finals for the first time in the club’s history. Arsenal, who made several changes, exit the competition after failing to capitalise on their superior possession and quality. The night belonged to the Cod Army.
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