Fleetwood stun Arsenal in Carabao Cup shootout upset

Fleetwood Town produced one of the biggest shocks in Carabao Cup history by eliminating Premier League champions Arsenal on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Highbury Stadium on Tuesday.

The League Two side won the shootout 5-3 to reach the quarter-finals, with 19-year-old Northern Ireland Under-21 defender Conor Haughey scoring the decisive penalty. Arsenal, beaten finalists in last season’s competition, are now out of the tournament.

Haughey admitted he had not practised penalties before taking the final kick, but sent the ball confidently into the top-left corner to trigger wild celebrations and a pitch invasion.

Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch had earlier saved Bruno Guimaraes’ penalty, giving the hosts the advantage in the shootout.

The result was even more remarkable given Fleetwood were 18th in League Two and faced an Arsenal team with significantly greater resources and squad depth.

Fleetwood take advantage of Arsenal changes

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made nine changes from the side that beat Everton 2-0 on Saturday, retaining only Myles Lewis-Skelly and Viktor Gyokeres.

Martin Zubimendi, Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and Cristhian Mosquera were among those brought into the starting line-up, but Arsenal struggled to impose themselves.

The match was delayed for eight minutes when a drone hovered over the stadium barely a minute after kick-off. Once play resumed, Fleetwood defended resolutely and took the lead in the 21st minute.

Mark Helm played the ball forward for Fulham loanee Aaron Loupalo-Bi, who held off 17-year-old Arsenal defender Marli Salmon before putting his finish beneath debutant goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

Arsenal could not find a response before half-time as Matt Lawlor’s side blocked shots, won challenges and maintained their shape.

Arteta introduced captain Martin Ødegaard and defender Ben White at the interval, and Arsenal equalised in the 50th minute through Gyokeres’ first goal of the season.

Northern Ireland international Ceadach O’Neill, making his senior Arsenal debut, cut in from the left and sent a low cross towards the far post. Gyokeres battled Finley Potter while trying to reach it, but managed to turn the ball past Lynch.

Arsenal then pressed for a winner, although Lynch denied Havertz from close range and Lewis-Skelly missed the target.

Dowman sent off before shootout

Arsenal’s frustration increased when teenage prospect Max Dowman was sent off with five minutes remaining for kicking out at Fleetwood’s Harrison Neal.

Dowman had impressed in Arsenal’s 4-2 win over Ipswich Town in the previous round, but his dismissal left the visitors with 10 players.

Fleetwood still had to withstand late pressure. Lynch saved from White and Ødegaard in stoppage time to force the game into a shootout, where his stop from Guimaraes paved the way for Haughey’s winning kick.

Arteta congratulated Fleetwood but said Arsenal had failed to convert the chances they created. He did not question his players’ attitude or application and confirmed he had not spoken to Dowman about the red card, although the team had been warned to remain disciplined.

The defeat ends Arsenal’s hopes of winning the Carabao Cup this season and extends their wait for another triumph in the competition, which they last won in 1993.

Fleetwood will face Bradford City, who beat Peterborough United in another fourth-round tie, in the quarter-finals. The other quarter-finalists will be decided after the remaining fourth-round matches on Wednesday and Thursday.

Lawlor described the achievement as “mental”, saying his players had dreamed of such an occasion. He praised their resilience against the Premier League champions, with the victory marking a major milestone for a club that has spent 15 years in the Football League.