Fleetwood Town pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Carabao Cup history, beating Premier League champions Arsenal in an astounding penalty shootout to reach the quarter-finals.

Mikel Arteta’s side were shell-shocked when Aaron Loupalo-Bi gave the hosts, ranked 84 places below the Gunners in the football pyramid, an unexpected lead in the 21st minute.

Viktor Gyokeres pulled the visitors level after the break, but a wasteful Arsenal side could not put the game to bed, and they were reduced to 10 men in the 86th minute when teenage starlet Max Dowman kicked out after a hefty tackle by Harrison Neal.

Jay Lynch made two sublime saves to stop Ben White and Martin Odegaard right at the death, sending the game to a penalty shootout.

And the Fleetwood goalkeeper pulled off more heroics, stopping Bruno Guimaraes’ spot kick, before Conor Haughey sparked scenes of ecstasy at Highbury Stadium by converting the winning penalty.

Fans flooded onto the pitch, players swore in their post-match interviews, while manager Matt Lawlor was reduced to tears during the emphatic celebrations.

Fleetwood will learn their quarter-final opponents when the draw takes place after Chelsea’s game against Liverpool on Wednesday.

Arsenal analysis: Wasteful Premier League champions left dumbstruck

Arsenal were welcomed by flames and fireworks, but the game had barely got going before referee Michael Salisbury stopped play after spotting a drone flying above Highbury Stadium.

The match restarted eight minutes later, after the players were briefly instructed to leave the pitch, and Arsenal were soon caught off guard when Loupalo-Bi rolled Marli Salmon and slotted past Illan Meslier.

Despite countless chances and dominating possession, Arteta’s side trailed at the break, much to the delight of the raucous home crowd.

But the Fleetwood’s elation did not last long as Gyokeres scrambled in the six-yard box to poke home an equaliser four minutes into the second half.

Introduced at half-time, captain Martin Odegaard injected urgency into the team, but they still lacked a clinical edge, with only one goal to show for 26 shots and 59 touches inside the Fleetwood box.

Their evening in the north west went from bad to worse when 16-year-old Dowman saw red after kicking out at Neal, then faced Arteta’s wrath as he headed down the tunnel.

Meslier, making his debut for the Gunners, failed to get close to any of the Cod Army’s penalty kicks, while a lacklustre strike from Guimaraes sealed the Gunners’ fate.

Fleetwood analysis: League Two minnows defy the odds

With Fleetwood languishing in 18th in the English fourth division, Arteta made nine changes from Saturday’s win over Everton – opting for a blend of youthful talent and Premier League non-starters.

Making just his second senior appearance for Arsenal, Salmon lacked the physicality to hold off Loupalo-Bi before the Fulham loanee jabbed the ball through Meslier’s legs, and the 17-year-old defender was hauled off at half-time.

Fleetwood’s defenders, meanwhile, gave everything to keep Arsenal at bay, with Rhys Bennett, Conor Haughey and Shaun Rooney all throwing themselves in front of every shot as they weathered wave upon wave of relentless pressure.

The home fans – perhaps expecting Arsenal to open the floodgates at some stage – took delight in their side’s ability to hold on for so long , and chants of “champions of England, you’re having a laugh” echoed around Highbury Stadium.

Ultimately, it came down to conviction. Ronan Coughlan, Neal, Will Davies, Andy Cannon and Haughey each slammed their penalties emphatically past Meslier, showing a fearlessness that stood in stark contrast to Arsenal’s timid overall performance.

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