Arsenal suffered one of the most humiliating defeats in their history on Tuesday, when the Premier League champions were knocked out of the League Cup by fourth-tier Fleetwood Town. The tie ended 1-1 after normal time, and Fleetwood won the penalty shootout 5-3 in what was described as an incredible fourth-round upset.
Mikel Arteta’s side had moved level on points with Premier League leaders Manchester City after a 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday. Instead of extending a run of 11 wins from their previous 13 games, Arsenal returned to north London after a result that ranks among the darkest days in the club’s history.
Fleetwood take the lead before Gyokeres equalises
Aaron Loupalo-Bi gave Fleetwood the lead in the first half, racing into the penalty area after a mistake by 17-year-old Marli Salmon in the 21st minute. Arsenal dominated possession after that, but Arteta was visibly frustrated by a lack of cutting edge. He sent on Martin Odegaard at half-time, and Viktor Gyokeres equalised five minutes later with a scrappy finish from close range.
The closing stages brought further trouble for Arsenal. Max Dowman, the club’s 16-year-old rising star, was sent off in the 85th minute for kicking out at Harrison Neal after a strong challenge from the Fleetwood midfielder. Although the decision looked harsh, Arteta was unimpressed with Dowman and spoke to him firmly as he left the pitch.
Arteta’s nine changes backfire at Fleetwood
Arteta had prioritised Sunday’s Premier League trip to Liverpool, making nine changes for the cup tie. Only Myles Lewis-Skelly and Gyokeres kept their places from the Everton game. Teenagers Dowman and Salmon started, while 18-year-old winger Ceadach O’Neill made his debut.
Fleetwood, who were 18th in League Two and had lost their previous two league games against Exeter City and Cheltenham, showed no sign of being overawed by their visitors. The match was also delayed for eight minutes by an unauthorised drone flying over the stadium, and Arsenal were caught cold on a windy night by the Irish Sea.
The defeat recalled some of the club’s earlier cup setbacks. Arsenal lost a League Cup match to fourth-tier Bradford on penalties in 2012, and Arteta’s team were beaten by second-tier Southampton in the FA Cup last season. They also lost to Nottingham Forest, then in the Championship, in the same competition in 2022. Older supporters will remember the 1969 League Cup final defeat to third-tier Swindon and a 1992 FA Cup exit at fourth-tier Wrexham.
Shootout settled by Lynch and Haughey
Both sides scored their first three penalties in the shootout, leaving the tie in the balance. Bruno Guimaraes then had his effort saved by Jay Lynch, and Conor Haughey converted the decisive kick for Fleetwood.
Fleetwood boss Matt Lawlor wept tears of joy as disbelieving fans ran onto the pitch to celebrate. The club’s tiny 5,327-capacity ground, where goals are greeted with a burst of the children’s cartoon song Captain Pugwash over the tannoy, will now be remembered as the scene of Arsenal’s most chastening loss in the Arteta era.
