Arsenal suffer shock Carabao Cup exit to fourth-tier Fleetwood Town

Arsenal were eliminated from the English League Cup in the last 32 after fourth-tier Fleetwood Town beat them 5-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw.

Fleetwood took the lead in the 21st minute when Aaron Lobolo-Bee scored, giving the hosts a one-goal advantage at half-time.

Arsenal levelled five minutes after the break through Viktor Gyokeres, but the visitors were reduced to 10 men when Max Dowman was sent off in the 86th minute for striking a Fleetwood player during a confrontation between the two sides.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reacted angrily towards his player after the incident.

The tie went to a shootout, where Bruno Guimaraes missed Arsenal’s fourth penalty. Fleetwood scored all five of their attempts to secure a notable victory over the Premier League champions.

Arsenal, who were runners-up in the previous edition of the competition, have therefore made an early exit from the League Cup.

Fleetwood supporters invaded the pitch to celebrate the surprise win. The match had also been halted after only one minute because a drone was flying above the ground, with play stopped to protect the safety of the players.

Following discussions between the referee, the two clubs’ officials and the players, the game resumed after a 10-minute delay.

The match took place at Fleetwood Town’s stadium, which is named Highbury. The name prompted memories for Arsenal supporters, whose club left its historic Highbury ground in 2006 before moving to Emirates Stadium.

However, there is no connection between Fleetwood’s ground and Arsenal’s former home. The shared name is coincidental: Fleetwood moved to the stadium in 1939, and it was called Highbury because of its location on Highbury Street.

Arsenal moved to Emirates Stadium after more than a century at Highbury, which was demolished following the club’s relocation.

Fleetwood are 18th in the English fourth tier.

The remaining matches in the same round will be played on Wednesday and Thursday, with the draw for the last 16 scheduled for Wednesday.

In another match, Bradford City reached the quarter-finals of the 2026-27 English League Cup, also known as the Carabao Cup, with a 2-0 victory over Peterborough United.

That match was played on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, at Bradford’s ground.