Arsenal Stunned by Fourth-Tier Fleetwood Town in League Cup Penalty Shootout

Arsenal suffered one of the most embarrassing defeats in their history on Tuesday, as the Premier League champions were beaten by fourth-tier Fleetwood Town in a League Cup fourth-round penalty shootout. The tie finished 1-1 in normal time before Fleetwood won the shootout 5-3.

Aaron Loupalo-Bi put Fleetwood ahead in the first half, and Viktor Gyokeres equalised after the interval. In the shootout, Bruno Guimaraes had his spot kick saved by Jay Lynch, and Conor Haughey converted the decisive penalty for the hosts. Both sides had scored their first three attempts.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made nine changes from the side that beat Everton, with Sunday's Premier League trip to Liverpool in mind. Only Myles Lewis-Skelly and Gyokeres kept their places. Teenagers Max Dowman and Marli Salmon started, while 18-year-old winger Ceadach O'Neill made his debut. The gamble backfired badly.

The result was unexpected given Arsenal's form. A 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday had lifted them level on points with league leaders Manchester City, and they had won 11 of their previous 13 games. Fleetwood, by contrast, sit 18th in League Two and had lost their last two league matches, against Exeter City and Cheltenham.

The match began with an eight-minute delay because of an unauthorised drone over the stadium. Fleetwood, nicknamed the "Cod Army" after the town's fishing industry, took the lead in the 21st minute. Loupalo-Bi muscled past the 17-year-old Salmon and ran into the area to finish low past debutant goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

Arsenal controlled possession afterwards, but Arteta grew visibly frustrated at the lack of a cutting edge. He introduced Martin Odegaard at half-time, and five minutes later Gyokeres levelled. The goal was a scrappy one: he wrestled with his marker before poking O'Neill's ball past Lynch from close range, leaving Fleetwood feeling aggrieved.

In the 85th minute, Dowman, 16, was sent off for kicking out at Harrison Neal after a strong challenge from the Fleetwood midfielder. The decision looked harsh, but Arteta was unimpressed and gave the youngster a stern word as he left the pitch.

The defeat sits among the darkest days in the club's history. Arsenal lost a 2012 League Cup tie on penalties to fourth-tier Bradford under Arsene Wenger, and were beaten by second-tier Southampton in last season's FA Cup. Older supporters will recall the 1969 League Cup final loss to third-tier Swindon and a 1992 FA Cup exit at fourth-tier Wrexham. Even those, the source notes, cannot compare with this result.

There was an added irony in the venue. Fleetwood's Highbury shares its name with Arsenal's former home, which the club left for the Emirates Stadium in 2006. The compact 5,327-capacity ground celebrates goals with the children's cartoon song Captain Pugwash over the tannoy. Fleetwood manager Matt Lawlor wept tears of joy as fans flooded the pitch at the final whistle.