Arsenal suffered a shock elimination from the Carabao Cup, losing to Fleetwood Town, a fourth-tier side in English football. After a 1-1 draw in normal time, the hosts won 5-3 on penalties, securing a historic qualification for the next round.
The match at Highbury began with an unusual incident, as the presence of a drone over the pitch forced the referee to temporarily halt play. After the restart, Fleetwood surprised the Londoners by taking the lead in the 21st minute with a goal from Loupalo-Bi. Arsenal were thus faced with the pressure of responding to an opponent that had no intention of giving up easily.
The team led by Mikel Arteta raised its tempo after the break and found the equaliser in the 50th minute. Viktor Gyökeres sent the ball into the net, scoring his first goal of the season in an Arsenal shirt. However, despite efforts to turn the result around, the “Gunners” failed to score the winning goal.
The situation became even more complicated in the 85th minute, when Max Dowman was shown a straight red card after a reckless challenge.
Everything was decided from the penalty spot. Goalkeeper Lynch saved Bruno Guimarães’ penalty, while Haughey converted the decisive kick for Fleetwood.
For Arsenal, who lost the final 2-0 to Manchester City last season, this elimination represents a major disappointment. On the other side, Fleetwood celebrate an extraordinary success, knocking out one of the biggest names in English football from the competition.