According to a report by BBC Sport on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Arsenal crashed out of the EFL Cup after suffering a 5-3 penalty shootout defeat to Fleetwood Town following a 1-1 draw in their fourth-round encounter.

Fleetwood Town made a strong start and took the lead in the 21st minute when Aaron Loupalo-Bi found the back of the net with a left-footed finish after receiving a pass from Harrison Neal, putting the home side in a good position to cause an upset.

Arsenal tried to respond before the break, creating several opportunities but struggling to find the equaliser as Fleetwood defended well and goalkeeper Jay Lynch made important saves to keep the visitors from getting back into the game.

The Gunners returned for the second half with greater urgency and finally levelled the score in the 50th minute when Viktor Gyökeres scored from close range with a right-footed finish, giving Arsenal hope of completing a comeback and avoiding an embarrassing exit.

Arsenal continued to push forward in search of a winner, with Martin Ødegaard and Kai Havertz introduced at half-time to improve their attacking play, but Fleetwood remained organised and refused to allow the visitors to take control of the tie.

The home side also created chances of their own as the match approached its closing stages, while Arsenal suffered another setback in the 85th minute when Max Dowman was shown a straight red card for violent conduct, leaving the Gunners to finish the match with ten men.

Neither side could find a winning goal before the final whistle, sending the contest into a penalty shootout after a hard-fought 1-1 draw.

Fleetwood held their nerve from the spot, converting their chances while Arsenal missed through Bruno Guimarães, whose penalty was saved by Jay Lynch.

The result sees Fleetwood Town advance to the next round of the EFL Cup, while Arsenal crash out of the competition after a disappointing night that ended with a painful penalty defeat.