Fleetwood Town produced one of the biggest shocks of the 2026/27 Carabao Cup campaign after eliminating Premier League champions Arsenal 5-3 on penalties following a dramatic 1-1 draw at Highbury Stadium on Tuesday night.
The League Two outfit delivered a remarkable performance against Mikel Arteta’s side, recovering from Viktor Gyokeres’ second-half equaliser to force a penalty shootout before converting all five of their attempts to book their place in the quarter-finals.
Arsenal’s evening ended in disappointment after teenager Max Dowman was sent off late in normal time, while substitute Bruno Guimaraes saw his penalty saved by Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch. Conor Haughey subsequently converted the decisive spot-kick to send the home supporters into celebration.
The result was particularly significant given the difference between the two clubs. Arsenal arrived as the reigning Premier League champions, while Fleetwood compete in the fourth tier of English football. However, the hosts demonstrated determination, defensive organisation and composure to secure a memorable victory.
The contest began with an unusual interruption when a drone was spotted hovering above the pitch shortly after kick-off. Referee Michael Salisbury temporarily suspended play while officials addressed the security concern, with the interruption lasting approximately seven to eight minutes before the match resumed.
Once play restarted, Arsenal attempted to impose their possession-based approach, but Fleetwood showed they were prepared to exploit opportunities on the counterattack.
The home side stunned the visitors in the 21st minute when Aaron Loupalo-Bi opened the scoring with an impressive individual effort.
The Fulham loanee used his strength to hold off Arsenal’s teenage defender Marli Salmon before getting beyond him and driving towards goal. With goalkeeper Illan Meslier attempting to close the angle, Loupalo-Bi calmly finished through the goalkeeper’s legs to give Fleetwood a shock 1-0 lead.
The goal ignited the home crowd and placed immediate pressure on Arsenal, who had entered the contest expecting to progress against lower-league opposition.
The Gunners responded by increasing their attacking pressure, but they struggled to turn their possession into goals. Max Dowman and Kai Havertz were involved in promising attacking situations, while Piero Hincapie headed over from close range after a delivery from Dowman.
Havertz also missed an opportunity to restore parity before the interval when he headed a cross over the crossbar, allowing Fleetwood to preserve their advantage at half-time.
Recognising the need for greater creativity and urgency, Arteta introduced Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard and defender Ben White at the start of the second half.
The changes quickly improved Arsenal’s attacking rhythm, and the visitors found their equaliser just five minutes after the restart.
In the 50th minute, Northern Ireland teenager Ceadach O’Neill produced an important contribution by driving forward down the left flank before delivering a cross into the penalty area.
Gyokeres attacked the delivery at the far post and bundled the ball over the line from close range to make it 1-1, registering his first goal of the season and giving Arsenal renewed hope of avoiding an upset.
The equaliser shifted the momentum towards the visitors, who began creating more dangerous opportunities as Fleetwood were forced to defend deeper.
However, Arsenal’s finishing continued to let them down. Havertz squandered two promising chances in quick succession, first blazing over the crossbar before sending another effort into the side netting.
Myles Lewis-Skelly also missed opportunities as the visitors searched for a second goal, while Fleetwood goalkeeper Lynch remained alert to prevent Arsenal from taking the lead.
Despite Arsenal’s territorial dominance, Fleetwood refused to surrender. The hosts remained organised and continued to threaten whenever the visitors lost possession.
Will Davies came close to restoring Fleetwood’s advantage in the closing stages after Arsenal failed to clear their lines, but Meslier produced an important save to keep the score level.
The match took another dramatic turn when Arsenal were reduced to 10 men late in normal time.
Dowman, who had shown flashes of attacking quality throughout the contest, was shown a straight red card following a confrontation with Fleetwood midfielder Harrison Neal.
The incident occurred after Neal challenged Dowman near the touchline. The Arsenal teenager reacted by kicking out at his opponent, prompting referee Salisbury to dismiss him.
Although the decision was viewed as harsh by some observers, the referee’s apparent interpretation was that Dowman’s action constituted violent conduct. The red card meant Arsenal had to finish the match with 10 players, leaving Arteta’s side at a further disadvantage as the contest approached its conclusion.
The dismissal also added to the frustration surrounding Arsenal’s performance, as they were unable to find a winning goal despite creating several opportunities.
There was still time for the visitors to snatch victory before the final whistle. White appeared to have scored a late winner after arriving at the far post to meet a delivery from Eberechi Eze, but Lynch produced an outstanding save to deny him.
The Fleetwood goalkeeper followed that intervention with another crucial stop to prevent Gyokeres from scoring in stoppage time.
With neither side able to find a decisive goal, the tie finished 1-1 after normal time and proceeded to a penalty shootout to determine who would advance to the quarter-finals.
Fleetwood approached the shootout with remarkable composure, converting all five of their penalties to complete the upset.
Harrison Neal, Ronan Coughlan and Will Davies converted Fleetwood’s opening three attempts, while Arsenal responded through Odegaard, Havertz and Gyokeres.
Andy Cannon then scored Fleetwood’s fourth penalty, placing the pressure firmly on Arsenal as the shootout moved towards its decisive moment.
Guimaraes stepped forward for Arsenal’s fourth attempt, but Lynch guessed correctly and saved the midfielder’s effort, giving Fleetwood the opportunity to seal qualification with their next kick.
Haughey, a young Fleetwood defender, took responsibility for the decisive penalty. The teenager kept his composure and sent the ball past Meslier to secure a 5-3 shootout victory.
The successful kick triggered celebrations among the home supporters, with Fleetwood players and fans recognising the magnitude of their achievement.
For Arsenal, the defeat represented another painful exit from a knockout competition after they had struggled to convert their dominance into a decisive advantage.
The Gunners controlled much of the possession and created numerous opportunities, but Fleetwood’s defensive resilience and Lynch’s goalkeeping proved decisive. Arsenal’s inability to take their chances, combined with Dowman’s dismissal and Guimaraes’ missed penalty, ultimately cost them a place in the next round.
Arteta will also have concerns about his team’s attacking efficiency, particularly after Havertz and other forwards missed promising opportunities that could have settled the contest before the shootout.
Fleetwood, meanwhile, can take enormous confidence from eliminating one of English football’s leading clubs. Their victory demonstrated that organisation, determination and composure can overcome a significant difference in resources and league status.
The result also secured Fleetwood a place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals for the first time in the club’s history, marking a landmark moment for the League Two side.
While Arsenal must now turn their attention to their remaining domestic and European commitments, Fleetwood will await the quarter-final draw after producing a performance that will be remembered by their supporters for years to come.
On a night when Arsenal were expected to progress comfortably, Fleetwood Town delivered the decisive moments that mattered, turning a 1-1 draw into a historic 5-3 penalty victory and sending the Premier League champions crashing out of the Carabao Cup.
