Arsenal suffered a League Cup exit on Tuesday, October 27, as fourth-tier Fleetwood Town beat the Premier League side 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in normal time. The Arsenal League Cup exit, sealed at Fleetwood’s Highbury Stadium, ranks among the biggest upsets in the competition’s history and one of the most embarrassing defeats of Mikel Arteta’s time in charge.
Conor Haughey scored the winning penalty after Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch saved Bruno Guimaraes’ effort. Fleetwood converted all five of their penalties, and Guimaraes’ miss was the only failed attempt in the shoot-out.
Arsenal League Cup exit: how Fleetwood beat the champions
Aaron Loupalo-Bi gave Fleetwood a surprise first-half lead in the 21st minute after taking advantage of a defensive mistake by Arsenal teenager Marli Salmon. Viktor Gyokeres equalised five minutes after half-time, but Arsenal failed to find a winner despite dominating possession.
The match had an unusual early interruption. A drone hovering above the stadium caused a delay of nearly eight minutes shortly after kick-off, while the referee spoke to the stadium safety officer, both managers and some of the players before play restarted.
Arsenal’s task grew harder in the closing stages. Sixteen-year-old Max Dowman was sent off in the 85th minute for violent conduct, after kicking out at Harrison Neal, leaving the visitors with 10 men for the rest of normal time. The tie went straight to penalties, with no extra time, and Fleetwood held their nerve.
Arteta’s reaction
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made nine changes to his starting line-up, with Sunday’s Premier League trip to Liverpool seemingly in mind. The decision backfired. Arteta called it a very sad day for the club, congratulated Fleetwood, and said he had nothing to fault his players for in attitude or intensity, with 11 men and with 10.
His complaint was about finishing. Arteta said that when a side creates the volume of shots and chances Arsenal did, it has to score three, four or five goals and capitalise on its dominance. Arsenal did not, and so had to wait and try to get through on penalties, which they failed to do.
Fleetwood manager Matt Lawlor was overcome with emotion as supporters celebrated on the pitch. He called it the biggest night in the club’s history in terms of the opposition coming to town, with his side beating the Premier League champions. Lynch, the shoot-out hero, said the team had taken heart from Grimsby Town, another fourth-tier side, beating Manchester United in the competition last season.
Why the upset is so large
The gap between the sides explains the scale of the shock. Fleetwood sit 18th in League Two and were the lowest-ranked club left in the draw. They were 84 places below Arsenal in the English football pyramid, and they had never reached this stage of the competition before. They had also lost their previous two league games.
The result brought back memories of Arsenal’s shock League Cup defeat against fourth-tier Bradford City on penalties in 2012. It also ended a strong run of form: Arsenal had moved level on points with league leaders Manchester City after beating Everton 2-0 on Saturday, a match Feature Pakistan covered as Arsenal beat Everton to go level with City. Their hopes of extending a run of 11 wins in 13 matches were ended by Fleetwood.
What happens next
For Arsenal, the defeat is a painful setback ahead of their crucial league meeting with Liverpool on Sunday. The League Cup is gone, and the response in the league now matters more than the cup exit itself. For Fleetwood, the reward is a quarter-final place and a night their supporters will not forget, sealed by a goalkeeper’s save and a captain’s calm final penalty.
Frequently asked questions
What was the score between Fleetwood and Arsenal?
The match finished 1-1 in normal time, and Fleetwood won the penalty shoot-out 5-3.
Who scored in the match?
Aaron Loupalo-Bi put Fleetwood ahead in the 21st minute, and Viktor Gyokeres equalised five minutes after half-time.
Who missed in the shoot-out?
Bruno Guimaraes had his penalty saved by Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch, the only miss of the shoot-out. Conor Haughey scored Fleetwood’s winning penalty.
Why was Max Dowman sent off?
The 16-year-old was shown a straight red card in the 85th minute for violent conduct, after kicking out at Harrison Neal.
