Fleetwood Town knock Arsenal out of Carabao Cup 5-3 on penalties after 1-1 draw

Fourth-tier Fleetwood Town pulled off one of the biggest upsets in League Cup history on Tuesday night, knocking Arsenal out of the Carabao Cup on penalties. The game at Fleetwood's Highbury Stadium finished 1-1 after 90 minutes, and the League Two side then scored all five of their spot-kicks to win the shootout 5-3. For Malaysian fans, the final whistle came in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Fleetwood are now in the quarter-finals for the first time in the club's history.

How the shock unfolded

Fleetwood went ahead in the 21st minute. Aaron Loupalo-Bi punished a mistake by young Arsenal defender Marli Salmon and gave the hosts a 1-0 lead at the break. Mikel Arteta sent on Martin Odegaard at half-time, and five minutes later Arsenal were level when Viktor Gyokeres scored.

Arsenal could not find a second goal. Their evening got worse in the 85th minute, when 16-year-old Max Dowman was shown a straight red card for kicking out at Fleetwood's Harrison Neal. The visitors finished the game with ten men.

Lynch the shootout hero

Both sides scored their first three penalties. Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch, who had already made several important saves during the match, then stopped Bruno Guimaraes' kick. Conor Haughey stepped up and scored the winning penalty, and the crowd celebrated a night the club will not forget.

Fleetwood boss Matt Lawlor praised his players for defending in a compact, disciplined shape and for causing problems on the counter-attack.

Arteta's gamble backfires

Arteta made nine changes from the side that beat Everton 2-0 at the weekend. Only Myles Lewis-Skelly and Gyokeres kept their places, while Dowman and Salmon started and Ceadach O'Neill made his debut. With a Premier League trip to Liverpool on Sunday, the rotation was understandable. It still left a weakened line-up that could not break down a team sitting 18th in League Two.

Arsenal arrived in strong form. They had won 11 of their previous 13 matches and were level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League. After the game Arteta was reported to have spoken firmly to Dowman about the red card.

Where it ranks in Arsenal's history

The defeat has been compared with some of Arsenal's most famous cup embarrassments: the League Cup shootout loss to fourth-tier Bradford City in 2012, the 1969 League Cup final defeat by Swindon Town and the 1992 FA Cup exit at Wrexham. Al Jazeera called it the biggest shock in League Cup history.

For Fleetwood, a club from a small Lancashire coastal town, it is the best result they have ever had. They join Bradford City, who also beat Peterborough United on Tuesday, as lower-league sides in the last eight. More fourth-round ties, including Bournemouth against Aston Villa and Sunderland against Brentford, are played on Wednesday night in England, which is the early hours of Thursday in Malaysia.

Key takeaways

• Fleetwood Town drew 1-1 with Arsenal and won 5-3 on penalties in the Carabao Cup fourth round.
• Aaron Loupalo-Bi scored for Fleetwood and Viktor Gyokeres equalised for Arsenal.
• Max Dowman, 16, was sent off in the 85th minute for violent conduct.
• Jay Lynch saved Bruno Guimaraes' penalty and Conor Haughey scored the winner.
• Fleetwood reach the League Cup quarter-finals for the first time.

FAQ

What was the score between Fleetwood Town and Arsenal? It ended 1-1 after 90 minutes, and Fleetwood won the penalty shootout 5-3.

Who missed Arsenal's penalty? Bruno Guimaraes had his kick saved by Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch.

Why was Max Dowman sent off? The 16-year-old was shown a red card in the 85th minute for kicking out at Fleetwood's Harrison Neal.

Sources: Fleetwood Town FC, Al Jazeera, The National, Yahoo Sports, Nukta