Arsenal suffered a shock exit from the EFL Cup on Tuesday night, falling 5-3 on penalties to fourth-tier club Fleetwood Town following a 1-1 draw after regular time, as reported by DHnet. The Premier League co-leaders fielded a heavily rotated side at Highbury Stadium, where French goalkeeper Illan Meslier made his first start for the club since March 2025.

Gyokeres Equalizes After Early Arsenal Struggle

The hosts stunned the reigning English champions when Aaron Loupalo-Bi opened the scoring in the 21st minute, exposing a disjointed Arsenal lineup that struggled to find its rhythm early on. Managerial changes at halftime brought on Ben White and Martin Ødegaard, sparking an immediate response when Viktor Gyokeres equalized for the Gunners in the 50th minute, according to match reports from Foot Mercato and RTBF.

Drone Interruption and Red Card Lead to Penalties

The tense tie featured several unusual interruptions, including a brief halt in play caused by a drone flying over the stadium. Tempers flared late in the match when 17-year-old prospect Max Dowman received a straight red card in the 85th minute after lashing out at Fleetwood’s Neal following an unpunished, dangerous tackle. With no extra time played under competition rules, the fixture went straight to a penalty shootout.

Decisive Penalties Seal Fourth-Tier Upset

Fleetwood Town converted all of their spot-kicks past Meslier. Bruno Guimarães, introduced as an 82nd-minute substitute, missed Arsenal’s fourth penalty attempt, allowing Conor Haughey to slot home the decisive kick and secure a famous quarterfinal berth for the League Two side, which currently sits 18th in the fourth tier.