Fourth-tier Fleetwood beat Arsenal 5-3 on penalties as Jay Lynch saves Bruno Guimaraes’ effort and Conor Haughey scores the winner.
Fourth-tier Fleetwood sealed Arsenal’s League Cup exit on Tuesday, winning their fourth-round tie 5-3 on penalties. The teams had drawn 1-1 in normal time at Highbury.
Jay Lynch saved Bruno Guimaraes’ spot-kick before Conor Haughey converted the decisive penalty. Meanwhile, Arsenal finished normal time with 10 players after Max Dowman’s late dismissal for violent conduct.
Aaron Loupalo-Bi gave Fleetwood a first-half lead, but Viktor Gyokeres equalised shortly after the break. The hosts then held on to take the contest to a shoot-out.
Nine changes precede Arsenal League Cup exit
Mikel Arteta made nine changes ahead of Sunday’s Premier League visit to Liverpool. Only Myles Lewis-Skelly and Gyokeres retained their starting places from Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Everton.
That result had brought Arsenal level on points with league leaders Manchester City. They also entered the cup tie with 11 wins from their previous 13 matches.
However, Arteta selected a youthful side, starting teenagers Dowman and Marli Salmon. He also handed 18-year-old winger Ceadach O’Neill his debut, while goalkeeper Illan Meslier made his first appearance.
Fleetwood, meanwhile, sat 18th in League Two after consecutive league defeats against Exeter and Cheltenham. Yet Matt Lawlor’s team overcame that form to eliminate the Premier League champions.
Loupalo-Bi strikes before Gyokeres responds
An unauthorised drone over the stadium delayed play for eight minutes. Loupalo-Bi then opened the scoring in the 21st minute, beating Salmon before finishing low past Meslier.
Arsenal subsequently controlled possession but struggled to turn that advantage into clear chances. Arteta introduced Martin Odegaard at half-time, and Gyokeres levelled five minutes after the restart.
The striker finished O’Neill’s delivery from close range after tussling with his marker. However, Fleetwood disputed the circumstances surrounding the equaliser.
Dowman dismissal and shoot-out drama
Dowman’s dismissal in the 85th minute further complicated Arsenal’s task. The 16-year-old kicked out at Harrison Neal following a strong challenge from the Fleetwood midfielder.
Both sides converted their opening three penalties before Lynch denied Guimaraes. Haughey then secured Fleetwood’s place in the next round.
Lawlor cried with joy as supporters poured onto the pitch to celebrate. The victory came at Fleetwood’s 5,327-capacity Highbury, which shares its name with Arsenal’s former home.
