There is an upset in the cards of the Carabao Cup last 16 after League Two Fleetwood Town took a shock lead against the Premier League champions arsenal.
The game at Highbury started in strange circumstances after the game was stopped for several minutes due to a drone flying over the stadium.but once the game resumed the locals were able to strike first.
With 21 minutes on the clock, Aaron Loupalo-Bi sent Highbury (not that one) into dreamland with what could become a famous goal for the Lancashire side.
The on-loan Fulham striker chased down a ball from behind and used his strength to beat Arsenal teenager Marli Salmon before breaking into the penalty area.
He stood his ground under pressure and calmly slotted the ball through the legs of Islan Meslier to spark wild celebrations.
It was a moment of pure drama for Fleetwood, who started the night just two points above the League Two relegation zone.
Arsenal’s defense left a lot to be desired, with Salmon isolated one-on-one, but Loupalo-Bi made the most of it to put the underdogs in front.
There is still a long way to go but Fleetwood have given themselves a famous chance to pull off a major EFL Cup upset that would live long in the memory of these fans.
Where to watch Fleetwood vs Arsenal: TV channel, live streaming online
Kick-off on Tuesday is at 20:00 GMT (16:00 ET / 13:00 PT), with live UK coverage on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Ultra.
road Now the televisionSky Sports costs £14.99 for a daily subscription, £27.99 a month for a 12-month subscription or £34.99 a month without a contract.
Fleetwood confirmed the starting line-up against Arsenal
Fleetwood made two changes following their 2-1 defeat at Exeter City in the Fourth Division on Saturday.
Finley Potter has recovered from a cut above his eye and Andy Cannon is back in training, but Will Johnson and Kane Thompson-Sommers are injured.
Striker Lewis McCann is suspended after being booked twice in this season’s competition and is replaced by Aaron Loupalo-Bi.
Rhys Bennett’s ban is over and he returns to replace Ronan Coughlan.
Fleetwood Town: Lynch, Rooney, Haughey, Potter, Bennett, McLean, Neal, Helm, Batty, Evans, Loupalo-Bio
Ssubstitutes: Pradic, Andrew, Cannon, Davies, Thomas, Murphy, Coughlan, Robertson, Cirino
Arsenal’s full line-up against Fleetwood Town
Arsenal make nine changes from their win over the Toffees with only Myles Lewis-Skelly and Viktor Gyokeres keeping their places.
Piero Hincapie was an unused substitute against Everton after being sidelined for the Champions League draw at Bayern Munich last Wednesday.
William Saliba, Christos Tzolis and Bukayo Saka are injured.
arsenal: Meslier; Wood, Salmon, Flycatcher, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman, O’Neill; Havertz, Gyokeres
Substitutes: Kepa, Blanc, Odegaard, Eze, Concert, Guimaraes, Harriman-Annous, Washington, Hashi
Fleetwood Town vs Arsenal: Carabao Cup stats
- Fleetwood are unbeaten against top-flight opposition (D1 D4) but have reached the fourth round for the first time as part of their 15th EFL Cup campaign, their previous best runs having ended in the third round in 2022/23 and 2020/21.
- Town’s last two exits from the competition have come on penalties, losing 7-6 at Barnsley after a 2-2 first-round draw last season and 3-2 at Stoke City after their third-round tie ended 1-1 in 2024/25.
- Since losing 1-0 to Everton in the second round in August 2022, Fleetwood have won five consecutive EFL Cup home ties.
- After meetings with West Bromwich Albion and Rotherham United in 2023/24, both of which ended 2-1, they have kept clean sheets in all three EFL Cup ties at Highbury Stadium this season, beating Chesterfield and Sheffield United 1-0 either side of a 4-0 win against Shrewsbury Town.
- A 2-1 defeat at Rochdale in League Two on 26 September is Fleetwood’s only defeat in their last 12 home games in all competitions (W6 D5)
- They had progressed from just six of 20 EFL Cup ties before this season and had kept one clean sheet in 20 games, but could now become the first fourth-tier side to keep four clean sheets in a campaign in the competition since Tranmere Rovers in 1988/89.
- Arsenal have won nine of their last 12 EFL Cup games, losing last season’s final against Manchester City and suffering two defeats against Newcastle in the 2024/25 semi-finals.
- Defeat to City extended their 33-year wait to lift the trophy for a third time, having triumphed in 1987 and 1993.
- Five of Arsenal’s last six defeats have come away from the Emirates Stadium, including a defeat against a side from a lower division than Championship club Southampton in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on April 4.
- Eberechi Eze has been directly involved in seven goals in his last four EFL Cup appearances against non-Premier League sides (two goals, five assists), including the opener in a 2-0 win at Port Vale in last season’s EFL Cup.
- Max Dowman scored twice in the third round at Ipswich aged 16 years and 258 days and has made three EFL Cup appearances, with Harvey Elliott the only player to make more under-17 appearances for a Premier League club before turning 17 (one game for Fulham, three for Liverpool).
- This is Arsenal’s 10th EFL Cup tie against a side in the fourth tier of English football, having won eight times but lost on penalties at Bradford City in 2012/13 after a 1-1 draw in their last such game.
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 ties are on Sky Sports, with the Liverpool v Chelsea game also available on ITV1.