League Two side Fleetwood Town produced one of the biggest shocks in Carabao Cup history on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, by eliminating Premier League champions Arsenal 5-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw at Highbury Stadium. Mikel Arteta named a strong starting lineup featuring Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz up front, alongside debutant goalkeeper Illan Meslier, but the visitors struggled to break down a resilient fourth-tier opponent fighting just two points above the relegation zone in their domestic division.
Sky Sports reported that the match experienced a bizarre start when an unrecognised drone hovered over Highbury Stadium, forcing a seven-minute delay after just 90 seconds of play. Once action resumed, Aaron Loupalo-Bi fired the hosts ahead in the 21st minute after outmuscling 17-year-old defender Marli Salmon to poke past Meslier. Arsenal responded after the break when Gyokeres bundled home his first goal of the season at the back post following good work from Northern Ireland teenager Cedach O’Neill, who was making his first start for the club.
Late Drama and Penalty Shootout Heroics
Arsenal dominated possession and created numerous chances through Kai Havertz and Lewis-Skelly, but failed to capitalize. The fixture boiled over in the 90th minute when young midfielder Max Dowman was shown a straight red card for allegedly kicking out at Harrison Neal—a decision described as “really harsh” by co-commentator Andy Hinchcliffe. Despite late pressure, Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch produced crucial stoppage-time saves to deny Ben White and Martin Odegaard, taking the match to a penalty shootout.
In the ensuing shootout, Fleetwood converted all their spot-kicks with remarkable composure. Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch saved Bruno Guimaraes’ penalty, leaving 19-year-old center-back Conor Haughey to score past Illan Meslier and secure a historic 5-3 victory that sent the home crowd into wild celebrations.
Managerial Reaction and Historical Context
Fleetwood manager Matt Lawlor admitted after the match that his side had not practiced penalties beforehand. “I’m going to be honest, we haven’t practised once. I’m not going to blag that we had some meticulous penalties, we haven’t. The lads took care of themselves,” Lawlor told Sky Sports, reflecting on the biggest night in the club’s history.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed disappointment over the missed chances but defended his players’ attitude. “It wasn’t to do with attitude otherwise I would be here fuming. I’m sad, we’re all sad. We have a responsibility to represent this badge in the best possible way,” Arteta told Sky Sports, noting that his team failed to create wider margins despite controlling the ball.