Fleetwood 1-1 Arsenal (5-3 on pens): Cod Army… (1-1)

Fleetwood 1-1 Arsenal (5-3 on pens): Cod Army Stun Gunners in Historic Shootout Upset | EFL Cup Report

Fleetwood Town produced one of the greatest shocks in EFL Cup history, beating Arsenal 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Highbury Stadium. According to ARENA LIVE, it was a night of pure drama, with the League Two side surviving a second-half onslaught before holding their nerve from the spot after Max Dowman's late red card.

Key Moments:

21' - Aaron Loupalo-Bi: Fleetwood took a shock lead through Loupalo-Bi.
46' - Arsenal Double Change: Martin Ødegaard and Ben White replaced Marli Salmon and Jurriën Timber.
50' - Viktor Gyökeres: Arsenal equalised through Gyökeres.
54' - Crispin McLean (Yellow Card): A booking for the Fleetwood midfielder.
66' - Fleetwood Double Change: Adam Murphy and Ronan Coughlan replaced Crispin McLean and Ched Evans.
66' - Arsenal Change: Eberechi Eze replaced Ceadach O'Neill.
74' - Fleetwood Double Change: Andy Cannon and Will Davies replaced Mark Helm and Aaron Loupalo-Bi.
74' - Jake Batty (Yellow Card): A booking for the Fleetwood wing-back.
82' - Arsenal Double Change: Ezri Konsa and Bruno Guimarães replaced Myles Lewis-Skelly and Martín Zubimendi.
85' - Max Dowman (Red Card): Arsenal were reduced to ten men after Dowman was sent off.
86' - Andy Cannon (Yellow Card): A booking for the Fleetwood midfielder.

Penalty Shootout:

Ronan Coughlan (Fleetwood) – Scored
Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal) – Scored
Harrison Neal (Fleetwood) – Scored
Kai Havertz (Arsenal) – Scored
Will Davies (Fleetwood) – Scored
Viktor Gyökeres (Arsenal) – Scored
Andy Cannon (Fleetwood) – Scored
Bruno Guimarães (Arsenal) – Missed
Conor Haughey (Fleetwood) – Scored

Loupalo-Bi's Historic Opener: Aaron Loupalo-Bi was the hero for Fleetwood, scoring the opener and earning a match rating of 8.0. Jay Lynch (7.9) and Jake Batty (7.7) were also key as Fleetwood generated 0.26 xG from just 3 shots, with two on target, and defended heroically against 26 Arsenal attempts.

Arsenal's Wastefulness: Piero Hincapié was the standout performer for Arsenal, earning a match rating of 8.2. Kai Havertz (7.8) and Martin Ødegaard (7.7) also impressed as Arsenal generated 2.21 xG from 26 shots, with only seven on target, and were made to pay for their profligacy.

The Nightmare for Arteta: Mikel Arteta's much-changed side dominated possession (78%) but lacked a cutting edge, and Dowman's late red card proved costly. Bruno Guimarães's missed penalty sealed Arsenal's fate, sending Fleetwood through to the next round in one of the competition's most famous upsets.

Match Details:

Competition: EFL Cup - Round 4
Venue: Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood
Referee: Michael Salisbury
Attendance: 5,002

Where to Watch: For international viewers, Fleetwood vs Arsenal and every EFL Cup match are available live on ARENA LIVE. Subscribe now to watch English football from anywhere in the world.

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