Fleetwood Town beats Arsenal 5-3 on penalties in League Cup upset

Fleetwood Town advanced to the fifth round of the League Cup on Tuesday by defeating Arsenal 5-3 in a penalty shootout. The tie ended 1-1 after 90 minutes at the 5,327-capacity Highbury in Fleetwood. Conor Haughey scored the winning penalty for the fourth-tier side. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made nine changes to his starting lineup compared to Saturday's Premier League match.

The match began after an eight-minute delay caused by an unapproved drone flying over the stadium. Fleetwood took the lead in the 21st minute. Aaron Loupalo-Bi passed the ball past Arsenal teenager Marli Salmon. Loupalo-Bi then finished low past debutant goalkeeper Illan Meslier. Arsenal held possession for much of the first half but struggled to create clear chances.

Arteta substituted Martin Odegaard into the match at the break. Viktor Gyokeres equalized five minutes into the second half. Gyokeres won possession from his marker and poked a pass from Ceadach O'Neill past Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch. Arsenal's 16-year-old midfielder Max Dowman received a red card in the 85th minute. He was dismissed for violent conduct after kicking Fleetwood midfielder Harrison Neal. Arteta spoke to Dowman as the young player left the field.

The teams scored their first three penalties in the shootout. Jay Lynch saved the penalty from Bruno Guimaraes. Haughey converted the final kick to secure the victory. Fleetwood manager Matt Lawlor cried on the touchline as fans entered the pitch. The team is nicknamed the Cod Army due to the local fishing industry.

Arsenal entered the match as Premier League leaders on points with Manchester City. They had won their previous two league games, including a 2-0 victory over Everton on Saturday. The result ends a run of 11 wins in their last 13 matches. Fleetwood sits in 18th place in League Two. The club lost its last two league matches to Exeter City and Cheltenham.

This is the first time Arsenal has lost to a fourth-tier team in a major competition since 1992. In that year, they exited the FA Cup against Wrexham. Arsenal also lost to third-tier Swindon in the 1969 League Cup final. The club lost to fourth-tier Bradford on penalties in the League Cup in 2012. They were beaten by Championship side Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup in 2022 and second-tier Southampton last season.

Only Myles Lewis-Skelly and Gyokeres started the Fleetwood match after playing against Everton. 18-year-old winger Ceadach O'Neill made his first-team debut. The match took place on a windy night near the Irish Sea. Fleetwood celebrates goals with the Captain Pugwash song over the loudspeakers. Arsenal's next league match is a trip to Liverpool on Sunday.