Arsenal knocked out of League Cup by fourth-tier minnow in all-time upset

• Topic:Soccer

Posted Wed 28 Oct 2026 at 9:54amWed 28 Oct 2026 at 9:54am

In short:

Premier League champion Arsenal has been eliminated from the EFL League Cup by fourth-tier Fleetwood Town.

The match was decided by penalties, with Fleetwood not missing to secure the upset 5-3 on spot kicks.

What's next?

Arsenal's next match is this weekend against Liverpool in the Premier League.

Reigning English champion Arsenal has been knocked out of the EFL League Cup by fourth-tier side Fleetwood Town in a massive boilover. 

A whopping 84 positions separate the London giant from its League Two minnow opponent on the English league pyramid, but in front of home fans, Fleetwood Town completed a remarkable upset 5-3 on penalties, after the scores finished 1-1 at the end of regulation. 

Fleetwood, which is sitting a lowly 18th in League Two, took the lead in the 21st minute through Aaron Loupalo-Bi, scoring with one of just two shots on goal the hosts managed for the entire match. 

A 50th-minute equaliser from Arsenal striker Viktor Gyökeres brought the Premier League giants back into the contest, but the Gunners could not find another. 

Arsenal teenager Max Dowman was sent off in the 86th minute before the cup tie went to penalties. 

Fleetwood was perfect from all five attempts, while Bruno Guimarães's miss for Arsenal on the Gunners' fourth attempt paved the way for one of the biggest upsets in the history of the competition. 

The match was halted early on after the referee noticed a drone hovering above the stadium.

Arsenal had just been awarded a free kick when the referee spotted the drone and temporarily stopped play, leading to jeers from some fans inside Fleetwood's home ground, Highbury Stadium.

The delay lasted nearly eight minutes, with the referee speaking to the stadium safety officer, both managers and then some of the players before finally restarting the game.

ABC/AP