Sports

Fleetwood Town Upset Arsenal in League Cup Penalty Shootout

By CNA

Fleetwood Town, a League Two club, defeated Arsenal 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the League Cup last‑16 match at Highbury Stadium on Tuesday. Aaron Loupalo‑Bi opened the scoring for Fleetwood in the 21st minute, beating Arsenal defender Marli Salmon before slotting a tight‑angle shot past goalkeeper Illan Meslier. The game was briefly halted for over eight minutes when a drone was spotted above the stadium.

Arsenal equalised four minutes after the break when Viktor Gyokeres converted a close‑range opportunity. The goal came after Ceadach O’Neill, making his senior debut, controlled a long ball from Piero Hincapie and delivered into the area.

The match’s complexion changed when Arsenal teenager Max Dowman was sent off following an altercation with Fleetwood’s Neal near the halfway line. Fleetwood withstood late pressure from Arsenal, with goalkeeper Ben Lynch making a crucial save from Ben White to keep the tie level.

In the penalty shootout, Lynch saved a spot‑kick from Guimaraes by diving left, giving Fleetwood a 4‑3 lead. Conor Haughey then struck a decisive penalty, sending Meslier the wrong way and securing Fleetwood’s place in the quarter‑finals.

After the match, Lynch told Sky Sports: "Amazing for the club, the town. Honestly it means everything to everyone. We took inspiration from Grimsby Town’s cup victory over Manchester United last season. The whole team throughout the game was magnificent. To beat the English champions – credit to these lads."

The result was a significant upset: Fleetwood, positioned in the bottom half of League Two and having won only one of their previous eight league matches, defeated Arsenal, who had won seven of their opening eight Premier League games and remained unbeaten in the Champions League. Fleetwood will learn their quarter‑final opponent when the League Cup draw is made after the remaining fourth‑round ties on Wednesday.