The Premier League champions were expected to progress comfortably against a Fleetwood side competing in League Two, but the hosts produced a memorable performance to eliminate one of English football’s biggest clubs.
Fleetwood took the lead in the 21st minute through Aaron Loupalo-Bi, putting Arsenal under pressure early in the contest.
The Gunners responded after the break, with Viktor Gyökeres scoring in the 50th minute to bring the visitors level. Despite their efforts to find a winning goal, Arsenal were unable to break down Fleetwood’s defence.
The match became even more difficult for Mikel Arteta’s side when teenage midfielder Max Dowman was sent off in the 86th minute, leaving Arsenal to finish the game with 10 men.
With neither team able to find another goal, the tie went to a penalty shootout.
Fleetwood held their nerve from the spot, converting all five penalties to secure a 5-3 victory. Arsenal’s Bruno Guimarães saw his penalty saved by goalkeeper Jay Lynch, while Conor Haughey scored the decisive spot-kick to send the League Two side into the quarter-finals.
The result marks one of the biggest upsets of this season’s Carabao Cup, with Fleetwood overcoming a significant gap in league status to eliminate the defending Premier League champions.
For Arsenal, the defeat brings their domestic cup campaign to an unexpected end and leaves Arteta with questions to answer following a disappointing night.
