Fleetwood knock Arsenal out of Carabao Cup with 5-3 shootout win

Fleetwood Town eliminated Arsenal from the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, winning a penalty shootout 5-3 after their fourth-round match at Highbury Stadium finished 1-1. Punch reported that Conor Haughey struck the decisive penalty, completing a perfect set of five kicks for the League Two side and securing a quarter-final place.

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Arsenal’s starting team included Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Martin Zubimendi alongside Ceadach O’Neill, Max Dowman and Marli Salmon. Sky Sports’ team sheet listed Illan Meslier in goal, with Martin Odegaard, Ben White, Eberechi Eze and Bruno Guimaraes among the substitutes. Fleetwood started Jay Lynch in goal and Aaron Loupalo-Bi in attack.

The evening was interrupted early by a drone above the ground. According to The Independent’s live reporting, referee Michael Salisbury halted the match and the stoppage lasted eight minutes. Fleetwood subsequently took the lead in the 21st minute, when Loupalo-Bi beat Meslier with a low finish to put the hosts ahead before half-time.

Mikel Arteta brought on Odegaard at the interval as Arsenal sought to recover. Gyokeres equalised early in the second half, but the visitors were unable to turn their subsequent pressure into a winning goal. The Independent reported that Fleetwood resisted sustained attacks to keep the contest level.

Arsenal also lost Dowman to a red card late in the game after he kicked out at an opponent. Lynch then made an important save from White, helping ensure the match would be decided from the spot. Despite Arsenal’s efforts to settle the tie in normal time, Fleetwood remained in contention.

In the shootout, Odegaard, Havertz and Gyokeres converted Arsenal’s first three attempts. Punch’s report recorded successful Fleetwood kicks from Ronan Coughlan, Harrison Neal, Will Davies and Andy Cannon before Lynch stopped Guimaraes. That left Haughey with the opportunity to finish the contest, and he converted Fleetwood’s fifth attempt to send the home supporters into celebration.

The victory followed another cup upset at Highbury in September. Sky Sports reported that Fleetwood beat Championship side Sheffield United 1-0 in the previous round, with a Rhys Norrington-Davies own goal settling that tie. Their latest home success has now taken them beyond Arsenal and into the last eight.