Fleetwood Town pull off a stunning upset to knock Arsenal out of EFL Cup

Fleetwood Town caused a major upset by knocking Arsenal out of the EFL Cup after winning 5-3 on penalties, following a 1-1 draw in regular time, in the match that took place on Tuesday evening, October 27, 2026, as part of the Quarter-Final.

Fleetwood Town started the match strongly, taking the lead in the 21st minute through Aaron Loupalo, who capitalised on a pass from Neil, before advancing into the penalty area and successfully shooting the ball into the net, giving his team the advantage over the Gunners.

Arsenal tried to come back into the match and succeeded in equalising in the 50th minute through Viktor Gyökeres, igniting the contest between the two teams as each side sought to secure a spot in the Quarter-Final.

Arsenal's task became complicated in the closing minutes after their player Max Dowman was sent off in the 86th minute, leaving the team to finish the match with ten players. The regular time ended in a 1-1 draw, leading both teams directly to penalties.

Penalties smiled upon Fleetwood Town, who compete in the fourth tier, as they secured a 5-3 victory to achieve a historic win and eliminate Arsenal from the EFL Cup, in one of the standout surprises of the quarter-finals.

Fleetwood Town advance to the Quarter-Final of the competition after this victory.