League Two Fleetwood Town recorded one of the biggest upsets of the Carabao Cup after leaving the Premier League champions arsenal in penalties
Fleetwood took one surprise lead in the first half thanks to Fulham loanee Aaron Loupalo-Bibut it looked like Mikel Arteta’s side would take control when Viktor Gyokeres scored his first goal of the season just five minutes into the second half.
But the Gunners couldn’t get their noses in after a brilliant display from the League Two side, who sit just above the relegation zone, with the game forced to penalties after being level after 90 minutes, with Dowman seeing red for sending off just before the end of the game.
After Bruno Guimaraes’ penalty was saved in the shoot-out, Conor Haughey buried his own to spark pure retirement at Highbury in what will go down as one of the biggest upsets of the EFL Cup.
Match statistics
Drone mayhem before Fleetwood stunned Arsenal in the first half
The game had barely started when a the drone over the stadium caused strange scenes and forced a long stopwith Arsenal eventually testing Fleetwood from a free-kick after play resumed, only for Hincapie to head over.
Fleetwood grew into the game, causing problems with Batty’s long throws and defending resolutely as Arsenal struggled to create clear-cut chances.
The hosts surprised Premier League champions in the 21st minute when Loupalo-Bi chased down a ball from behind, beat teenage defender Salmon and slotted the ball through the legs of Meslier to send Highbury wild.
Arsenal’s response lacked conviction, with Max Dowman dragging a promising chance wide before Kai Havertz headed in the lively teenager’s cross.
Jurrien Timber also headed home from a late free-kick as Arsenal piled on some pressure seven minutes into added time, but Fleetwood held firm to take a remarkable 1-0 lead into the break.
Dowman sees red as Fleetwood hold on
Arsenal needed just five minutes after the break to equalise, with debutant Cedach O’Neill’s low cross causing mayhem in the Fleetwood box before Gyokeres slotted home from close range.
The visitors piled on the pressure, with Kai Havertz firing over and Myles Lewis-Skelly curling wide as Arsenal threatened to take control.
That control was far from assured though as we entered the 70th minute with the game very much in the balance as Mikel Arteta opted to keep his guns on the pitch to try and win the game. It was needed in the circumstances, but it’s also not the ideal scenario to face Liverpool on Saturday.
Fleetwood continued to build momentum late in the game and had a good chance in the 82nd minute, with Meslier forced into a close-range save after the home side caused chaos in the Arsenal box, and with five minutes remaining, penalties looked likely.
Fleetwood’s chances were boosted hugely when 16-year-old Dowman was shown a straight red for reacting with a kick towards a Fleetwood defender after a strong challenge on the youngster.
It may have been harsh, but it was certainly stupid on the part of the inexperienced teenager in a hostile environment. Arteta was clearly unimpressed as his manager appeared to take issue with the youngster as he left the pitch.
Ben White almost won it at the death after a ball across the box from Eze, but an outstanding save from Jay Lynch on the goal line, before rising to thwart a Gunners shot from the edge of the box.
Another strike for Fleetwood to secure a late win came before the referee blew for full-time as penalties were awarded.
Guimaraes misses as Fleetwood wins
The first three penalties for each team were superbly taken to keep the shootout level, with Harrison Neal particularly smashing home a stunning penalty to cap off what was a brilliant display.
Andy Cannon continued the trend by netting, putting pressure on Guimareas to score his own to avoid giving the hosts the match point. Up went the summer signing, whose spot was read by the goalkeeper.
Haughey was the man to put the hosts through, with the Irishman sending Meslier the wrong way to secure a historic win.
Last 16 games of the Carabao Cup
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Thursday, October 29, 2026
Carabao Cup: When is the EFL Cup quarter-final draw?
The draw will take place on Wednesday 28 October after the quarter-finals between Liverpool and Chelsea.
Presenter Dave Jones will host the draw alongside former England defenders Conor Coady and Graeme Le Saux.
What time is the EFL Cup quarter final draw?
The match at Anfield kicks off at 20:00 GMT (16:00 ET / 13:00 PT) and will go straight to penalties if the score is level after 90 minutes.
This means that the draw is likely to take place at approximately 22:00 GMT (18:00 ET / 15:00 PT), depending on the added time and whether spot releases are required.
EFL Cup: What channel is the Carabao Cup based on?
All eight draws are on Sky Sportswith the match between Liverpool and Chelsea also available on ITV1.
