Fleetwood stun Arsenal on penalties to reach Carabao Cup quarter-finals
League Two strugglers Fleetwood Town beat nine-changes Arsenal 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw and a Max Dowman red card at Highbury Stadium.
Fleetwood Town eliminated Premier League champions Arsenal from the Carabao Cup on penalties, winning a shootout 5-3 after a 1-1 draw to reach the quarter-finals, according to Sky Sports Football.
The result ranks among the biggest shocks in the competition's history, with an 18th-placed League Two side accounting for the reigning top-flight champions, Yahoo Sports reported.
Mikel Arteta made nine changes from the side that beat Everton at the weekend, with only Viktor Gyokeres and Myles Lewis-Skelly retaining their places. Fleetwood made two alterations following their league defeat to Exeter City, bringing in Rhys Bennett and Aaron Loupalo-Bi for Lewis McCann and Ronan Coughlan.
Play was halted after just one minute and 40 seconds when referee Michael Salisbury spotted a drone flying above the stadium. The match was suspended for eight minutes while Salisbury consulted club staff, and police later traced the drone's operator.
Fleetwood took the lead on 20 minutes when Loupalo-Bi, on loan from Fulham, capitalised on hesitant Arsenal defending, evaded a challenge from Marli Salmon and slid the ball through Illan Meslier's legs.
Arsenal had chances to respond before the interval through Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber, both of whom headed over the crossbar, leaving the visitors behind at half-time.
Arteta reshaped at the break, introducing Martin Odegaard and Ben White in place of Timber and Salmon. The changes helped Arsenal level in the second half when debutant Cedach O'Neill drove down the left and crossed low for Gyokeres, who poked in his first goal of the season at the back post.
With the tie heading towards penalties, Arsenal were reduced to ten men in the 85th minute. Max Dowman was sent off after catching Fleetwood's Harrison Neal during a melee that followed a strong challenge from Neal on the teenager, Yahoo Sports reported.
The scoreline held through five added minutes, taking the contest to a shootout. Bruno Guimaraes's stuttered run-up was saved by Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch, and Conor Haughey converted the decisive penalty to send Fleetwood through 5-3 on spot-kicks.
The Guardian's Barry Glendenning noted the defeat came almost five months to the day after Arsenal were previously eliminated from a cup competition on penalties following what he described as a flat and uninspired display, with the tie played out at Fleetwood's own Highbury Stadium more than two decades after Arsenal left a London ground of the same name.
Fleetwood Town now move into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, a dramatic contrast to their league form, which had seen them lose to Exeter City before this upset and sit 18th in League Two.
For Arsenal, the exit ends their involvement in the competition and will prompt scrutiny of a much-changed line-up that proved unable to see off lower-league opposition despite goals from Gyokeres and second-half changes from Arteta.