Fourth-tier Fleetwood Town pulled off one of the biggest shocks in English football history on Tuesday night, beating Premier League champions Arsenal 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the Carabao Cup last 16.
The League Two side, who sit in the bottom half of the fourth division and are 84 places below Arsenal in the pyramid, held their nerve at Highbury Stadium to reach their first ever League Cup quarter-final.
Fleetwood took a shock lead in the 21st minute when Aaron Loupalo-Bi shrugged off Arsenal defender Marli Salmon and drove a tight-angle effort beyond third-choice goalkeeper Illan Meslier. The match had been halted for more than eight minutes early on after a drone was spotted above the stadium.
Arsenal, who made nine changes ahead of Sunday's trip to Liverpool, levelled four minutes after the break through Viktor Gyokeres, who converted from close range after Ceadach O'Neill — making his senior debut — delivered into the area.
Arsenal's night got worse when 16-year-old wonderkid Max Dowman was sent off in the 86th minute for retaliating after a challenge from Harrison Neal.
Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch became the hero, first making a crucial late save from Ben White to take the tie to penalties, then diving left to palm away Bruno Guimaraes' spot-kick to put his side 4-3 up. Conor Haughey fired the winner past Meslier.
"Amazing for the club, the town. Honestly it means everything to everyone," Lynch told Sky Sports. "We took heart from Grimsby beating Man Utd last year."
The result is the first time Arsenal have lost to a fourth-tier side since Bradford City beat them on penalties in the 2012 quarter-finals. Fleetwood will learn their quarter-final opponents after Wednesday's remaining ties.
