Fleetwood Town knock out Arsenal on penalties to reach Carabao Cup quarter-finals

Fleetwood Town, a League Two side, have knocked out Premier League champions Arsenal from the Carabao Cup. The fourth-round tie finished 1-1 after normal time, and Fleetwood won the penalty shootout 5-3 on 27 October 2026.

Fleetwood took the lead in the 21st minute through Aaron Loupalo-Bi. Viktor Gyokeres levelled for Arsenal after half-time, and the score stayed level until the end of normal time.

The game turned in the 86th minute. Max Dowman was sent off after a challenge involving Harrison Neal, leaving Arsenal with 10 men for the closing minutes. Neither side could break through, so the tie went to penalties.

In the shootout, Conor Haughey scored the winning kick. BBC Sport called it one of the biggest upsets in the competition's history.

Fleetwood sit 19th in English football's fourth tier, the level below League One. The English football pyramid ranks every club from the top division down, and Arsenal sit 84 places above Fleetwood in that ranking. The win also sends Fleetwood into the EFL Cup quarter-finals.

The club reached the fourth round for the first time in September, and tickets for this home tie sold out before kick-off. The match started at 8pm GMT and was shown live on Sky Sports.

For Fleetwood, the night is the kind that gets remembered long after the score. For Arsenal, it is a cup exit they will want to forget quickly.