Fleetwood Town vs Arsenal. Carabao Cup Fourth Round. Fleetwood Town win 5-3 on penalties. Report and free match highlights as Arsenal lost to League Two Fleetwood on penalties; Aaron Loupalo-Bi put the fourth tier side ahead, Viktor Gyokeres equalised; Max Dowman was sent off with Bruno Guimaraes missing the crucial spot kick Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Fleetwood Town produced one of the biggest shocks in Carabao Cup history as the League Two team dumped out Premier League champions Arsenal on penalties to reach the quarter-finals.
Mikel Arteta named a strong Arsenal side with Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz up front and Martin Odegaard playing the second half. But they were not at the races, as the team two points above the League Two relegation zone took them to a 1-1 draw after Max Dowman was sent off before the shoot-out. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Then Bruno Guimaraes saw his penalty saved by Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch – who also made wonder saves to deny Ben White and Odegaard in stoppage time. That left Conor Haughey to blast past Illan Meslier – picked by Arteta over penalty expert Kepa Arrizabalaga to make his Arsenal debut – to send Highbury mad.
Fleetwood deserved the shoot-out after a bonkers start to the game. An unrecognised drone hovering over Highbury forced a seven-minute delay after 90 seconds. Then Aaron Loupalo-Bi put the fourth tier side ahead after outmuscling 17-year-old defender Marli Salmon and poking past Meslier. Arsenal responded after half-time as Viktor Gyokoeres bundled home his first of the season at the back post after good work from Northern Ireland teenager Cedach O’Neill – making his first start for Arsenal.
But Havertz missed chance after chance. Then came a moment of contention as Dowman was shown his marching orders for apparently kicking out at Harrison Neal. The call was described as “really harsh” by Andy Hinchcliffe on Sky Sports commentary. But this is Fleetwood’s story.
A non-league club as recently as 2012, they have now knocked out the reigning Premier League champions. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1: DRONE! An unrecognised drone stops play at Highbury for seven minutes as it caused a security risk. Referee Michael Salibsury wanted to take both sets of players off but play resumed almost straight away because the drone flew off. 10: OVER!
After the restart, Piero Hincapie heads over Dowman’s free-kick from close range. 20: BIG MISS! Dowman skews a shot wide when played through on goal by Salmon. 21: GOAL! Fleetwood go up the other end as Loupalo-Bi outmuscles Salmon to score past Meslier. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 42: CHANCES!
Jurrien Timber misses two chances to score after Havertz headed his cross over the bar. 50: GOAL! Arsenal score from their first chance of the second half as Gyokeres bundles the ball home from close range. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 59: MISSES! Havertz misses two big chances in quick succession from close range – blazing over, then hitting the side netting. 65: MORE MISSES!
Lewis-Skelly misses the latest of two big second half chances as he can’t finish from a few yards out. 82: ALMOST! Fleetwood nearly snatch the win as Arsenal fail to clear and Will Davies sees a shot saved by Meslier. 90: OFF! Dowman is sent off after allegedly kicking out at Neal. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 90+5: BIG SAVES!
Lynch makes incredible double saves from White and Odegaard.
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