---
title: "Fleetwood Beat Arsenal on Penalties in Carabao Cup Shock"
url: https://sports23.net/fleetwood-beat-arsenal-on-penalties-in-carabao-cup-shock
published: 2026-10-28T08:56:11Z
updated: 2026-10-28T08:56:11Z
summary: "League Two Fleetwood Town held Arsenal 1-1 at Highbury Stadium before winning the shootout 5-3 to reach the League Cup quarter-finals for the first time ever."
author: "Sports23 Editorial"
categories: ["Scores & Results"]
tags: ["Arsenal", "Carabao Cup", "Fleetwood Town", "Football"]
lang: en
---

# Fleetwood Beat Arsenal on Penalties in Carabao Cup Shock

*The League Two side held Arsenal 1-1 at Highbury Stadium before winning the shootout 5-3 to reach the League Cup quarter-finals for the first time in club history.*

Fleetwood Town produced a famous Carabao Cup upset on home soil, holding Arsenal to a 1-1 draw at Highbury Stadium before winning the penalty shootout 5-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time in the club's history.

The League Two side, sitting two divisions below the Premier League giants, were full value for a result that will live long in the memory on the Fylde coast.

## How the match unfolded

The evening began strangely, with play halted barely 93 seconds in after a drone appeared over the ground, causing a stoppage of almost eight minutes. When the action resumed, it was the hosts who struck first.

On 21 minutes, Harrison Neal slid a through ball into the path of Aaron Loupalo-Bi, who outmuscled Marli Salmon before finishing low through the legs of goalkeeper Illan Meslier to send Highbury into delirium.

Arsenal laboured in response. Viktor Gyokeres' long-range effort on 29 minutes was their first on target, while Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber both headed off target before the interval.

Mikel Arteta responded at half-time by introducing captain Martin Odegaard and Ben White, and the changes told early in the second half. A dangerous delivery from debutant Ceadach O'Neill caused confusion in the Fleetwood box, and Gyokeres flicked his finish past Jay Lynch to level.

The Gunners pressed hard for a winner. Lynch pawed a Havertz effort over the bar, Myles Lewis-Skelly curled wide, and Havertz found the side netting before missing from close range as the clock wound down.

## Late drama, then penalties

Meslier denied substitute Ronan Coughlan at the other end before a late flashpoint: a reckless Neal challenge sparked a scuffle in which Arsenal youngster Max Dowman was shown a red card by referee Michael Salisbury.

In stoppage time, Eberechi Eze rolled the ball across goal for Ben White, but Lynch kept his effort out on the line — and the tie went to spot kicks in front of the home supporters.

Both sides were perfect through three rounds: Ronan Coughlan, Neal and Will Davies scored for Fleetwood, while Odegaard, Havertz and Gyokeres replied for Arsenal. Andy Cannon then put the hosts 4-3 up, and Lynch dived low to his left to save Bruno Guimaraes' kick.

That left Conor Haughey with the chance to win it — and he smashed his penalty into the top corner to seal a 5-3 shootout triumph.

## What it means

For Fleetwood, this is uncharted territory: a first League Cup quarter-final in club history, and a result that instantly ranks among the competition's classic upsets. For Arsenal — who had [beaten Lille 3-0 in Europe](/arsenal-3-0-lille-timber-breaks-through-as-saka-seals-it) earlier this month — the cup run ends at the fourth-round hurdle, and they return to Premier League action away at Liverpool on Sunday.