Fleetwood Town advances to Carabao Cup quarter-finals after defeating Arsenal on penalties

Fleetwood Town secured a spot in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday evening. The League Two club defeated reigning Premier League champions Arsenal in a penalty shootout after the match ended 1-1.

Aaron Loupalo-Bi gave the hosts a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute. Viktor Gyokeres equalized for Arsenal in the second half. Max Dowman was sent off for kicking out after a challenge from Harrison Neal. Fleetwood held their ground until the shootout.

Goalkeeper Jay Lynch stopped penalties from Ben White, Martin Odegaard, and Bruno Guimaraes. Conor Haughey converted the decisive spot kick for the hosts. Fans ran onto the pitch to celebrate the result at Highbury.

Manager Matt Lawlor told Sky Sports that the team beat the champions in what he called the biggest night in the club's history. He noted that he watches football from the National League to the Premier League, making the preparation difficult. He said he was glad the players performed to make the town and club proud.

Left-back Jake Batty said on BBC Radio 5 Live that the team has a fire in cup competitions despite poor league form. He stated that they are not a big club in League Two but want to replicate the momentum from the tie in league play. Batty added that the team should be fearless and hopes to host another team in the next round.

Fleetwood sits 18th in League Two. The team has won only once in its last eight league matches. It conceded six goals in its two games before this tie, including a 4-2 loss at Cheltenham and a 2-1 defeat at Exeter.

Lawlor said he told his players to enjoy the night before facing Bristol Rovers in a league game on Saturday. Fan Ben, who has followed the club for 15 years, received about 500 messages after the match. He described the win as the best night of his life for a small club with a limited budget.