Two Man Utd academy stars help eliminate Arsenal from Carabao Cup

Tuesday was a night to remember for League Two outfit Fleetwood Town as they knocked Arsenal out of the Carabao Cup fourth round. Two former Manchester United academy players contributed to the memorable win.

Premier League champions Arsenal were knocked out of the Carabao Cup after a shock defeat to fourth-tier Fleetwood Town following a penalty shootout. New signing Bruno Guimaraes had his spot-kick denied by Jay Lynch before teenager Conor Haughey’s match-winning penalty sparked a pitch invasion.

The magic of the cup, some might say, as incredible scenes unfolded at Highbury Stadium. It will undoubtedly go down as one of Mikel Arteta’s biggest upsets as Arsenal manager.

Although Manchester United are in no position to laugh at their rivals, especially after being eliminated in the third round, we can take joy in the fact that two former academy players featured in Fleetwood Town’s victory over Arsenal.

Night to remember for Mark Helm and Rhys Bennett

It was the first time that reigning Premier League champions have been knocked out of the League Cup by a fourth-tier side. Of course, United experienced something similar last season, after losing a second-round tie against Grimsby.

Arsenal were expected to sail through to the next round, but they now find themselves out of the competition. Fleetwood will progress to the next round as a result.

Former United academy duo Mark Helm and Rhys Bennett started for Fleetwood Town on the night. Neither player took a penalty in the shootout, and Helm was substituted after 74 minutes.

At wing-back, Bennett had lots of defending to do, which can be seen in his stats after making eight defensive contributions. That includes six clearances. Helm played centrally in a packed midfield. He touched the ball 21 times and had a 60% pass success rate against the Gunners.

Although Bennett and Helm came through the youth ranks at United, they never made an appearance for the senior team. Bennett did captain United’s FA Youth Cup-winning side in 2022, but Tuesday night will go down as one of the best in their careers to date. It remains to be seen who they will face in the next round.