Fleetwood Town stun Arsenal on penalties in Carabao Cup
- League Two side Fleetwood beat Arsenal 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Highbury Stadium.
- Aaron Loupalo-Bi put Fleetwood ahead in the 21st minute before Viktor Gyokeres equalised.
- Arsenal's Max Dowman was sent off and Jay Lynch saved Bruno Guimaraes' spot kick.
Arsenal are out of the Carabao Cup after fourth-tier Fleetwood Town beat them 5-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw at Highbury Stadium on Tuesday night.
The result is one of the biggest shocks in the competition's history. Fleetwood play in League Two, the fourth division of English football, and were 18th in that table before the match.
Fleetwood took the lead in the 21st minute through Aaron Loupalo-Bi, who raced past teenage defender Marli Salmon and finished low past debutant goalkeeper Illan Meslier. Reports differ slightly on the build-up: PM News credited Harrison Neal with the pass, while other outlets described it as a defensive error.
Arsenal dominated the ball but struggled to break Fleetwood down. Mikel Arteta brought on Martin Odegaard at half-time, and Viktor Gyokeres equalised five minutes later. PM News put the goal in the 50th minute.
Red card and shoot-out drama
Arsenal's night got harder in the closing stages when 16-year-old Max Dowman was sent off. Vanguard reported he was dismissed for kicking out at Neal after a strong challenge, while Complete Sports put the red card in the 86th minute and PM News in the 85th.
Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch kept his side in the tie with late saves, including from Ben White and Odegaard, to force penalties.
Both sides scored their first three kicks. Andy Cannon then converted Fleetwood's fourth before Lynch saved Bruno Guimaraes' effort. Conor Haughey scored the decisive fifth kick, sending home fans onto the pitch.
Fleetwood manager Matt Lawlor was in tears at full-time, according to the reports.
Arteta made nine changes from the side that beat Everton 2-0 on Saturday, a result that had taken Arsenal level on points with Premier League leaders Manchester City. Vanguard reported that decision backfired, with only Myles Lewis-Skelly and Gyokeres keeping their places.
For Nigerian fans who follow Arsenal closely, the exit removes one route to silverware this season. The club's attention now turns to Sunday's league trip to Liverpool and a Champions League visit to Slavia Prague.
What happens next
Fleetwood move into the quarter-finals and will learn their opponent when the draw is made after Chelsea's game against Liverpool on Wednesday, according to Complete Sports.
