Fleetwood Town Stun Arsenal to Reach Cup Quarters — SkimNews
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- Fleetwood Town beat reigning Premier League champions Arsenal on penalties at Highbury to reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, producing one of the biggest cup upsets ever despite an 84-place gulf between the teams.
- Aaron Loupalo-Bi gave Fleetwood Town the lead after 21 minutes, but Viktor Gyokeres equalized for Arsenal after the break and the match remained level until penalties.
- Max Dowman was sent off for kicking out after Harrison Neal's robust challenge, with Fleetwood Town later taking the game to penalties as Arsenal's performance remained wasteful.
- Jay Lynch made saves to deny Ben White and Martin Odegaard, kept out Bruno Guimaraes' penalty in the shootout and was left hoarse after Fleetwood Town's victory at windy Highbury.
- Conor Haughey struck the decisive spot-kick, sending Fleetwood Town into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals for the first time since arriving in the EFL in 2012 as supporters spilled onto the pitch.
- Jake Batty said Fleetwood Town's one win in eight league games reflected poor form, but said cup competition gave the players extra 'fire' and urged them to remain 'fearless' and hope for a home quarter-final tie.
- Matt Lawlor called it the biggest night in Fleetwood Town's history because of the opposition visiting, but immediately turned attention to the side's next league test against Bristol Rovers on Saturday.
Why it matters: Fleetwood’s win delivers a first Carabao Cup quarter-final since entering the EFL in 2012, while Max Dowman’s dismissal and Jay Lynch’s save of Bruno Guimaraes’ penalty underpin Arsenal’s defeat. With Fleetwood 18th in League Two after one win in eight, Matt Lawlor still faces Bristol Rovers on Saturday after six goals conceded in the previous two games.
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