Carabao Cup: Fourth-tier Fleetwood stun Arsenal to reach next round

Arsenal have been eliminated from the Carabao Cup after losing 5-3 on penalties to fourth-tier Fleetwood Town following a 1-1 draw at full-time.

The Gunners conceded the opening goal and finished the encounter with 10 men before losing the penalty shootout to Fleetwood, who are struggling in League Two, where they sit 18th in the table.

Aaron Loupalo-Bi put Fleetwood in front in the first half, while Viktor Gyokores equalised in the second before Max Dowman was sent off late on.

Fleetwood took a shock lead in the 21st minute through Loupalo-Bi, who shook off Arsenal’s Marli Salmon before slotting a low shot past goalkeeper Illan Meslier for 1-0.

Two halftime changes saw captain Martin Odegaard and Ben White come on, and the Gunners equalised through Gyokeres’ scruffy finish inside the penalty area five minutes after the restart.

Mikel Arteta’s side were reduced to 10 when Dowman lashed out after a hard tackle, and Fleetwood survived two late chances to force penalties. Bruno Guimaraes’ penalty was saved, and Fleetwood scored their fifth to seal passage into the quarter-finals for the first time in the club’s history.

The win over reigning EPL champions Arsenal is arguably the biggest victory in Fleetwood Town’s history, and the biggest upset in Carabao Cup history.

Arsenal also suffered their first-ever loss to Fleetwood Town, and the club is the lowest-ranked team the Gunners have ever lost to in domestic cup competition. It is also Arsenal’s worst domestic cup defeat under Arteta.

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