Fleetwood Town produced a stunning Carabao Cup upset by eliminating English Premier League champions Arsenal on penalties, earning a quarter-final home tie against Everton or Newcastle United.
The League Two side held Mikel Arteta’s team to a 1-1 draw before winning 5-3 in the shoot-out, with Aaron Loupalo-Bi putting Fleetwood ahead before Viktor Gyokeres equalised.
Arsenal were unable to find a winner despite dominating possession and creating several chances, while Max Dowman’s red card added to their frustration before the decisive penalties.
Superior quality not a factor
Arteta refused to blame his players’ mentality for the defeat but admitted his side had failed to make their superiority count.
“A really sad day for us. I cannot fault at all the attitude of the players,” he told Sky Sports.
“We had so much of the ball, had so many chances, so many shots and if you want the margins to be bigger than going to penalties, you have to capitalise on that. We didn’t and football is about that.”
The result sets up another potentially memorable night for Fleetwood, who will welcome either Everton or Newcastle in the quarter-finals.
Quarter-final draw confirmed
Manchester City will host Bradford City after surviving a penalty shoot-out against Brighton, while Liverpool will face Bournemouth at Anfield.
Crystal Palace will take on Sunderland in the remaining tie, setting up an all-Premier League meeting.
The draw offers Fleetwood another opportunity to challenge top-flight opposition after their victory over Arsenal, who had been among the favourites to lift the trophy.
The quarter-final ties are scheduled to take place during the week commencing December 14.
Fleetwood’s progression represents one of the standout stories of this season’s competition, while Arsenal must now turn their attention back to their Premier League campaign after a costly cup exit.
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