Fleetwood Town Eliminates Arsenal in League Cup Upset
League Two side Fleetwood Town stunned the football world by knocking Premier League champions Arsenal out of the 2026-27 League Cup on Tuesday, marking a historic moment for the small club from the fishing village.
The Cod Army struck first in the 21st minute when 20-year-old forward Aaron Loupalo-Bi, on loan from Fulham, broke through Arsenal’s defense and scored past their backup goalkeeper Illan Meslier, who was making his debut for the Gunners, with a powerful low shot.
In response, Arsenal’s manager Mikel Arteta introduced veteran players Martin Odegaard and Ben White at halftime, and the team equalized just five minutes later with a goal from Viktor Gyokeres. Despite dominating the second half and outshooting Fleetwood 15-2, Arsenal found themselves down to 10 men in the 85th minute when 16-year-old Max Dowman received a red card for kicking out at an opponent following a challenging slide tackle.
In a tense penalty shootout, Fleetwood converted all five of their attempts, while goalkeeper Jay Lynch saved a crucial shot from Bruno Guimaraes in the fourth round. This victory resulted in Fleetwood Town eliminating a club that is currently 84 places above them in the Football League hierarchy. Fleetwood spent a decade in League One, the highest tier they have ever achieved, from 2014 to 2024 before getting relegated to the fourth tier.
