A drone hovering over Highbury Stadium halted play for seven minutes, and the night only got stranger for Arsenal. League Two side Fleetwood Town beat the Premier League champions on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the Carabao Cup fourth round, in front of the home crowd.
Aaron Loupalo-Bi put Fleetwood ahead in the 21st minute. Viktor Gyokeres levelled in the 50th minute to restore order, but neither side could find a winner. Kick-off was at 20:00 UK time, and the stoppage meant a long night for both squads.
How the Arsenal Carabao Cup tie slipped away
The Arsenal Carabao Cup tie was not settled in normal time. Teenager Max Dowman was sent off in the 90th minute for kicking out at Fleetwood’s Harrison Neal, which left the Gunners with ten men as the shootout loomed. It was a rare moment of frustration in a game that Fleetwood played with plenty of belief.
Then came the penalties. Bruno Guimaraes saw his spot kick saved by Jay Lynch, and Conor Haughey scored the decisive kick past Illan Meslier. Lynch was the shootout hero for the hosts. Arsenal’s own official match report records the 5-3 shootout score.
Fleetwood savour a night to remember
For a fourth-tier club, this is a statement result against one of England’s best sides, and at least one outlet ranks it among the biggest shock exits in the competition’s history. The Arsenal Carabao Cup campaign ends here, while Fleetwood, who play their football in the fourth tier, now wait for the quarter-final draw.
Arsenal have little time to dwell on it. The Gunners earned a 2-2 draw at Bayern Munich in the Champions League only last week, and attention now turns back to the league and Europe. The other fourth-round ties continue on Wednesday, including Liverpool against Chelsea and Manchester City against Brighton.
