Fleetwood stun Arsenal on penalties in the Carabao Cup as Max Dowman sees red

Fleetwood Town, a fourth-tier League Two club, knocked Arsenal out of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, Oct. 27. The game finished 1-1 after normal time, and Fleetwood won the shootout 5-3 to reach the quarterfinals. Arsenal finished a man down after 16-year-old Max Dowman was sent off in the 85th minute.

It’s one of the biggest upsets of the English soccer season so far. BBC Sport noted that Fleetwood were the lowest-ranked side in the tie, and the home crowd ran onto the field after the winning penalty.

Fleetwood vs. Arsenal: final score

Match stats per The Guardian.

The game was played at Fleetwood’s Highbury Stadium. The Guardian pointed out the irony: Arsenal left their own Highbury more than 20 years ago, and this trip to a ground with the same name went badly.

How the upset happened

There was a strange start. Arsenal’s match report says play stopped after just 93 seconds because a drone was flying near the stadium. BBC Sport put the delay at about eight minutes.

After the restart, Arsenal had the early chances. Piero Hincapié headed a Dowman free kick over the bar, and Dowman himself got a deflected ball one-on-one with goalkeeper Jay Lynch but dragged his shot wide.

Fleetwood scored first, in the 21st minute. Harrison Neal played the ball through midfield to Aaron Loupalo-Bi, who held off Marli Salmon and finished low between the legs of Arsenal goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s starting lineup included young players such as Salmon, Dowman and Ceadach O’Neill, according to the lineup published by The Guardian. Martin Ødegaard and Ben White came on at halftime, and Eberechi Eze replaced O’Neill in the 66th minute.

Viktor Gyökeres tied it 1-1 early in the second half, in the 50th minute. Arsenal then piled on pressure. The Guardian counted 26 Arsenal attempts (six on target) against three for Fleetwood, but Lynch and the Fleetwood defense held. In stoppage time, Eze found White at the back post, and his shot was cleared off the line.

Max Dowman’s red card

The flashpoint came late. Arsenal’s report says a “reckless tackle” by Neal drew a reaction from Dowman, and in the scuffle that followed, referee Michael Salisbury showed the teenager a red card.

Several British outlets, including the Daily Mail and Sky Sports, reported that Arteta was visibly unhappy with Dowman as he walked off. His exact words weren’t reported. Former Arsenal player Paul Merson criticized how Arteta reacted. BBC Sport’s live coverage said Arsenal “had more than enough” to win the game even after the red card.

What isn’t clear yet is how long Dowman will be suspended. Arsenal hadn’t announced that at the time of the reports.

The penalty shootout

Both teams scored their first three kicks:

• Arsenal: Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyökeres scored.
• Fleetwood: Harrison Neal, Ronan Coughlan and Will Davies scored.
• Round 4: Andy Cannon put Fleetwood ahead, and then Lynch saved Bruno Guimarães’ kick.
• Round 5: Teenager Conor Haughey scored into the top corner to win it 5-3.

What’s next

Fleetwood are in the quarterfinals. BBC Sport reported that the quarterfinal draw will take place after Wednesday’s fourth-round games. Arsenal go back to Premier League play at Liverpool on Sunday, Nov. 1, and then travel to Slavia Prague in the Champions League, according to the club.

FAQ