Arsenal slumped to one of the biggest upsets in the English League Cup's 66-year history, with the Premier League champion knocked out by fourth-tier Fleetwood Town in a penalty shootout in the round of 16 on Tuesday.
Five months after losing on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, Arsenal endured more shootout misery -- this time at 5,300-capacity Highbury Stadium, the intimate home of Fleetwood that bears the same name as Arsenal's storied former stadium.
Fleetwood, a team 84 places below Arsenal in the English soccer pyramid, converted all of its penalties and won the shootout 5-3. Arsenal's Bruno Guimaraes had his attempt saved in the only miss of the shootout.
The match finished 1-1 in regulation, with Arsenal ending it with 10 men after a red card for 16-year-old Max Dowman.
"A really sad day for us," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. He left out some first-team regulars, including Declan Rice, Gabriel and David Raya, but still fielded a strong lineup containing several experienced internationals.
Jubilant home fans streamed onto the field after Conor Haughey converted the clinching penalty for Fleetwood, which had never reached this stage of the competition before and, in 18th place in League Two, was the lowest-ranked club left in the draw.
"The biggest night in the club's history in terms of opposition coming to town and we've managed to beat the (Premier League) champions," Fleetwood manager Matt Lawlor said.
Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch, the star of the shootout after saving Guimaraes' attempt, said the team drew inspiration from another League Cup upset by a fourth-tier side last season.
"We took heart from Grimsby beating Man United last year," Lynch said. "We kind of compared it.
"Amazing for the club, the town. Honestly it means everything to everyone."
Trailing after a 21st-minute goal by on-loan Fulham striker Aaron Loupalo-Bi, Arsenal brought on captain Martin Odegaard at halftime.
Viktor Gyokeres equalized in the 50th minute, but Arsenal struggled to create clear chances afterward and had Dowman sent off in the 85th for kicking out at an opponent who had brought him down with a hard tackle.
"We have a massive responsibility to carry this badge in the best possible way," Arteta said. "It had nothing to do with effort or application or determination to win it, but we lacked other things."
Fleetwood, a coastal town in northwest England, is best known in soccer for being the club where former England and Leicester striker Jamie Vardy made his name.
Vardy spent one season there and helped Fleetwood earn promotion from the fifth tier into the English Football League before moving to Leicester in 2012.
In 2023, Fleetwood's former owner, Andy Pilley, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for fraud. He lost an appeal in February.
A drone hovering above the stadium caused an eight-minute delay shortly after kickoff.
Arsenal was about to take a free kick in the second minute when the referee spotted the drone and temporarily stopped play. The match resumed after the referee spoke with the stadium safety officer, both managers and several players.
Guimaraes also had a penalty saved in Brazil's loss to Norway in the round of 16 at the World Cup this summer.
Bradford City will represent England's third tier in the quarterfinals, 13 years after reaching the final of the competition while playing in the fourth tier.
Bradford beat Peterborough 2-0 and will join Fleetwood as the lower-league teams in Wednesday's draw for the last eight.
The round of 16 continues Wednesday with five more matches, including defending champion Manchester City at home to Brighton and Liverpool hosting Chelsea.
The other all-Premier League matchups are Bournemouth against Aston Villa, Fulham against Crystal Palace and Sunderland against Brentford. (AP)
