Fleetwood:Fourth-tier Fleetwood Town pulled off a major upset by defeating Premier League champions Arsenal on penalties in the English League Cup on Tuesday. The match at Highbury Stadium concluded with Fleetwood winning the shootout 5-3 after a 1-1 draw in regular time, advancing them to the quarterfinals for the first time.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, Fleetwood, positioned 84 places below Arsenal in the English football pyramid, took an early lead when Aaron Loupalo-Bi scored in the 21st minute. Arsenal, despite maintaining possession, struggled to capitalize on their chances against Fleetwood's strong defense.

The game saw Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta bring on captain Martin Odegaard at halftime, leading to an equalizer by Viktor Gyokeres shortly after the break. However, Fleetwood's goalkeeper Jay Lynch made crucial saves throughout the match, keeping Arsenal at bay.

As the match neared its conclusion, Arsenal was reduced to 10 players following a red card for Max Dowman. Fleetwood successfully converted all their penalty kicks, with Conor Haughey scoring the decisive goal, leading to jubilant celebrations among the home fans.

The match also experienced a brief suspension due to an unauthorized drone flying over the stadium. Arsenal's lineup featured several changes ahead of their upcoming Premier League match against Liverpool, yet included prominent players such as Gyokeres and Kai Havertz. This defeat mirrored Arsenal's 2012 League Cup exit to fourth-tier Bradford City, also decided on penalties after a draw.