EFL Cup: Arsenal Knocked Out by Fourth-Tier Club After Dramatic Penalty Shootout

Fleetwood Town pulled off a massive upset in the English League Cup 2026/2027. This club competing in League Two, England's fourth Football tier, eliminated Arsenal via penalty shootout in the fourth round fixture held at Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood, early Wednesday morning WIB.

Arsenal were forced to swallow a bitter result after the match finished 1-1 across regular time, before Fleetwood secured a 5-3 win on penalties. This result marks a landmark achievement for Fleetwood while bringing Arsenal's Carabao Cup campaign to an end.

Fleetwood played on the front foot despite facing opponents ranked far above them in the domestic football pyramid. The home side even put Arsenal under consistent pressure right from the first half.

Fleetwood opened the scoring in the 21st minute through Aaron Loupalo-Bi. This goal kept the hosts leading 1-0 heading into the half-time break.

In the second half, The Gunners ramped up their attacking intensity. Their efforts paid off when Viktor Gyokeres netted an equaliser early in the second period, bringing the score to 1-1.

However, Arsenal's task grew significantly harder late in the match. 16-year-old winger Max Dowman received a straight red card in the 85th minute for unsporting conduct, leaving Arsenal to see out the remainder of normal time with just 10 players on the pitch.

This numerical advantage was not enough for Fleetwood to find a winning goal before regular time expired. Neither side could register an additional goal, forcing the tie to be decided via penalty shootout.

Penalty Shootout Books Fleetwood Place In Quarter Finals

From the spot, all five of Fleetwood's assigned takers: Ronan Coughlan, Harrison Neal, Will Davies, Andy Cannon, and Conor Haughey successfully converted their attempts.

Arsenal initially kept the contest close with three successful penalties from Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, and Viktor Gyokeres. However, a missed attempt from Bruno Guimaraes became the critical turning point that swung the tie in the home side's favour.

Fleetwood ultimately confirmed a 5-3 penalty shootout victory following the 1-1 regular time Draw. This result secures the League Two club progression to the English League Cup quarter finals, which are scheduled to take place in mid-December.

For Fleetwood, this win proves that major upsets remain a constant possibility in the English League Cup. For Arsenal meanwhile, defeat against a fourth division side represents a bitterly disappointing outcome, after they failed to capitalise on their chances to continue their run in the competition.