Fleetwood vs Arsenal: League Two Fleetwood knock Arsenal out of the Carabao Cup 5-3 on penalties
Fourth-tier Fleetwood held Arsenal 1-1 and scored all five penalties, while Arsenal's 16-year-old was sent off late on.
Fleetwood vs Arsenal ended in one of the biggest Carabao Cup shocks in years on Tuesday night: League Two Fleetwood Town held Arsenal 1-1 at Highbury Stadium in Fleetwood and then won the penalty shootout 5-3 to reach the last 16. Fleetwood are 18th in the fourth tier, three divisions below Arsenal.
ESPN reported that Fleetwood scored all five of their penalties, with a teenage defender converting the winner, while goalkeeper Jay Lynch saved one of Arsenal's kicks. The BBC's match report gave the same 5-3 shootout score.
How the match went
| Score | Fleetwood 1-1 Arsenal (Fleetwood win 5-3 on penalties) |
| Round | Carabao Cup fourth round |
| Venue | Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood |
| Fleetwood goal | Aaron Loupalo-Bi, 21 minutes |
| Arsenal goal | Viktor Gyokeres, 50 minutes |
| Red card | Arsenal's 16-year-old substitute, late in the second half |
Loupalo-Bi, on loan from Fulham, put the home side ahead after 21 minutes. Gyokeres equalised five minutes after half-time, but Arsenal could not find a winner. Mikel Arteta had rotated heavily: Declan Rice, Gabriel and David Raya were missing, and captain Martin Odegaard only came on at half-time, according to ESPN.
The red card
The night turned worse for Arsenal with about five minutes left, when Arsenal's 16-year-old was sent off (we do not name players under 18). Sky Sports said the red card was for violent conduct after he was accused of lashing out at Fleetwood defender Harrison Neal during a scuffle. Arteta appeared to have words with the youngster as he walked off.
Asked about it afterwards, Arteta said he had not seen the incident on camera and that what he told the player "was something that we discussed before the game." He called it "a really sad day for us."
What it means
Arsenal are out of a competition they had targeted as a realistic trophy, and Fleetwood, managed by Matt Lawlor, go into the fifth-round draw as the lowest-ranked club left. For a club of Fleetwood's size, a home tie against a Premier League side and a run to the last 16 is also a significant financial boost.
Watching English football from Pakistan
Carabao Cup midweek ties in England usually kick off at 7.45pm or 8pm UK time, which is 12.45am or 1am the next morning in Pakistan while the UK is on GMT. Keep an eye on the dollar to rupee rate if you pay for streaming subscriptions in dollars, or work out the cost with our currency converter.
Frequently asked questions
- What was the Fleetwood vs Arsenal score?
- 1-1 after 90 minutes; Fleetwood won the shootout 5-3 to reach the Carabao Cup last 16.
- Why was an Arsenal player sent off?
- Sky Sports said Arsenal's 16-year-old was shown a red card for violent conduct after he was accused of lashing out at a Fleetwood defender during a scuffle.
Sources
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