League Two side Fleetwood Town beat Arsenal 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Highbury in the Carabao Cup fourth round. Aaron Loupalo-Bi and Viktor Gyökeres scored, Jay Lynch saved Bruno Guimarães’ kick, and Conor Haughey converted the winner to send Fleetwood into the last eight.
Fleetwood, England: Supporters ended the night on the pitch and the reigning Premier League champions were out. Fleetwood Town, a fourth-tier club, knocked Arsenal out of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night, reaching the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.
A drone, then a lead
Mikel Arteta made nine changes from the side that beat Everton, resting regulars including Gabriel and David Raya. Only Myles Lewis-Skelly and Gyökeres kept their places, and Illan Meslier made his Arsenal debut in goal. The game was barely a minute old when it stopped: a drone hovered over the ground, and referee Michael Salisbury halted play for roughly eight minutes until it had gone.
Fleetwood used the break better than Arsenal did. In the 21st minute Mark Helm played a long ball forward, Aaron Loupalo-Bi, on loan from Fulham, held off Marli Salmon and rolled the ball under Meslier to put the hosts ahead.
Gyökeres levels, Lynch holds firm
Arsenal were far better after the break, helped by Martin Ødegaard’s arrival at half-time. Five minutes into the second half, Ceadach O’Neill cut in from the left and whipped a low cross to the back post, where Gyökeres got a touch past Lynch to level. It was the striker’s first goal of the season.
Then Jay Lynch took over. The Fleetwood goalkeeper stopped Kai Havertz from close range and made a string of saves, including a double stop against Max Dowman and Havertz’s follow-up. Loupalo-Bi had a second-half finish ruled out for offside at the other end. With about five minutes left, Dowman was sent off for kicking out at Harrison Neal, leaving Arsenal with ten men, and in stoppage time Lynch denied Ben White and Ødegaard to force penalties.
Haughey seals it from the spot
Ronan Coughlan, Neal, Will Davies and Andy Cannon scored for Fleetwood, and Lynch denied Guimarães on Arsenal’s fourth kick. Haughey sent the fifth into the top corner, and supporters flooded the pitch.
Afterwards, Arteta said the defeat was nothing to do with effort, application or desire to win. Fleetwood manager Matt Lawlor admitted his side had not practised penalties that week and said the club had never had a bigger night.
Into the last eight
Fleetwood, 18th in League Two, now wait for the quarter-final draw. For Arsenal, an under-strength side that had most of the possession and the chances could not find a second goal, and the cup run is over before November.
Result: Fleetwood Town 1-1 Arsenal (Fleetwood win 5-3 on penalties), Carabao Cup fourth round, Highbury Stadium, Tuesday 27 October 2026.
Scorers: Loupalo-Bi 21’ (Fleetwood); Gyökeres 50’ (Arsenal).
