Fleetwood stun Arsenal on penalties in major Carabao Cup upset

Fleetwood Town, sitting 18th in League Two, produced one of the biggest shocks in Carabao Cup history on Tuesday by eliminating Premier League champions Arsenal. The Lancashire side held on for a 1-1 draw over 90 minutes and then converted all five penalties to win the shoot-out 5-3 and reach the quarter-finals.

• Fleetwood Town, 18th in League Two, advanced to the quarter-finals with a 5-3 penalty shoot-out win.
• Aaron Loupalo-Bi gave the hosts a 21st-minute lead and Viktor Gyokeres equalised after half-time.
• Home goalkeeper Jay Lynch saved Bruno Guimaraes' penalty and was named man of the match.
• 16-year-old Max Dowman was shown a straight red card after kicking out at a Fleetwood player.
• Mikel Arteta confirmed Riccardo Calafiori, Declan Rice and Noni Madueke missed out through fitness issues.

How Fleetwood Town knocked out the Premier League champions

Matt Lawlor's side struck first in the 21st minute. Aaron Loupalo-Bi fired a low shot into the net to give the competition's lowest-ranked team a first-half advantage against a heavily rotated Arsenal side that struggled to find sharpness.

Arteta responded by sending on Martin Odegaard at the break, and Viktor Gyokeres levelled soon afterwards. But the London side could not find a winner despite dominating possession and creating a string of chances. Lynch made a brilliant save to deny Ben White and send the tie to a shoot-out.

Jay Lynch and the Grimsby inspiration against Manchester United

The Fleetwood goalkeeper delivered a heroic performance in one of the most memorable nights in the club's history. He saved Guimaraes' spot-kick and watched all five of his team-mates score, with 19-year-old centre-back Conor Haughey converting the winning penalty.

We looked at Grimsby beating Man Utd last year. We compared it even though these are the champions. We thought: if we lay it all out there, let's see what happens.

Lynch said his team had been inspired by Grimsby Town knocking Manchester United out of the competition the previous season. The man of the match admitted he had lost his voice from organising the defence and described the night as "a mad old night" after beating the English champions.

Max Dowman's red card and Arteta's reaction

The tie left a bitter moment for Arsenal. Max Dowman, a 16-year-old attacker, was caught by a heavy challenge from behind from Harrison Neal near the touchline and responded by kicking out at the Fleetwood midfielder. The incident sparked a melee between both sets of players, and referee Michael Salisbury, with no VAR available, showed Dowman a straight red card for violent conduct.

Arteta appeared to have harsh words for the youngster as he walked off the pitch. The manager later said his message related to "something we discussed already before the match". He added that the squad had been "very clear on the things to respect" and "the things that emotionally we have to dominate". Arteta declined to give further details and said he wanted to review the incident properly before assessing it.

Calafiori, Rice and Madueke: Arsenal's injury concerns

After the defeat, Arteta confirmed that Riccardo Calafiori, Declan Rice and Noni Madueke missed the match through fitness concerns. The manager said Rice had been dealing with a problem that forced his substitution against Everton, while Madueke is nursing an ankle issue. First-choice right winger Bukayo Saka is also expected to be out for the next few weeks.

Dowman's red card adds another headache for Arsenal. The teenager will be suspended for the next three Premier League games, starting with Sunday's trip to Liverpool. With Saka and Madueke doubtful, the ban leaves Arteta with fewer attacking options for the match at Anfield.

Matt Lawlor's historic night and a squad united through a rough patch

Fleetwood manager Matt Lawlor celebrated what he called the greatest win of his career and the most momentous night in the club's history. With disarming honesty, he admitted his players had not even practised penalties during the week and had handled the shoot-out themselves.

I'm not going to blag that we had some meticulous penalties, we haven't. The lads took care of themselves. We have a 19-year-old centre-back that took the last one. I was a little bit worried when he was walking up, but Conor backs himself.

The victory sends Fleetwood into the quarter-finals and gives the club a memorable lift after a difficult run in the league. It is the first time a fourth-tier side has beaten the English champions in a domestic cup since Wrexham knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup in 1992.

What Mikel Arteta said after Arsenal's Carabao Cup exit

The Arsenal manager congratulated Fleetwood on reaching the next round and on the way they achieved it. He described the result as "a really sad day" for his side but insisted he had no complaints about the players' attitude, effort or determination to win.

Arteta pointed to a lack of cutting edge in both boxes. He said Arsenal had plenty of the ball, created numerous chances and produced a high number of shots. "If you want the margins to be bigger than going to penalties, you have to capitalise on that," he explained.