Arsenal's Quadruple Hopes Shattered as Fleetwood Stun the Gunners in Shocking Upset

Arsenal have been knocked out of the Carabao Cup following a stunning upset at the hands of EFL League Two side Fleetwood Town on Tuesday.

The Gunners struggled to get the job done within 90 minutes, having initially gone behind and finishing the match with 10 men after Max Dowman received his first career red card. After the game ended 1–1 at full time, Arsenal were beaten 5–3 in a penalty shootout that settled the fourth-round clash.

The Gunners might have expected some comfort stepping onto the pitch at Highbury Stadium on England's northwest coast, the ground sharing its name with Arsenal's iconic home from 1913 to 2006. Fleetwood even wear red shirts with white sleeves.

But the evening had other ideas.

The game was briefly halted just minutes after kick-off due to a drone hovering over the pitch. Arsenal unsurprisingly dominated possession once play resumed following the extended delay, and the visitors created chances without truly threatening Fleetwood in any meaningful way.

Then came the moment every Fleetwood supporter had fantasized about but likely never believed would happen. The buildup was nothing special—Harrison Neal played the ball forward, and Aaron Loupalo-Bi used his physicality to hold off 17-year-old Arsenal center back Marli Salmon before slotting a finish under stand-in goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

Arsenal barely looked capable of drawing level until after the break, when Martin Ødegaard came on and began posing far more problems than his teammates had managed.

The momentum began to shift, though there was little elegance to Viktor Gyökeres' 50th-minute equalizer, as he got a touch on the ball after a cross from teenage debutant Ceadach O'Neill was mishandled by the Fleetwood backline.

Even so, Arsenal failed to overpower their opponents. Kai Havertz squandered two golden opportunities in the minutes that followed, and the early second-half momentum quickly faded. Fleetwood appeared to be running on fumes—defending without the ball is far more exhausting—yet they kept closing down spaces and competing for every loose ball.

A firm but ultimately fair challenge from Fleetwood's Neal on Dowman triggered the 16-year-old's dismissal with five minutes remaining. There was no consoling arm from Arteta as the academy prospect trudged toward the tunnel—instead, the manager appeared to offer some stern words.

Arsenal pushed for a winner before the shootout, but goalkeeper Jay Lynch produced two crucial saves in the dying moments.

With no extra time played, Fleetwood's Ronan Coughlan opened the shootout by converting with a Bruno Fernandes-style skip. Ødegaard and Neal both scored, before Havertz also netted to level it at 2–2. Will Davies held his nerve despite the ball wobbling in the wind, and Gyökeres responded in kind. Andy Cannon put Fleetwood back in front, and then Bruno Guimarães cracked under the pressure, handing Fleetwood the chance to win it. Conor Haughey duly obliged.

One Thing We Can't Ignore

The dream of an unprecedented quadruple is already dead before November arrives. Arsenal had set their sights on making history, but where was the squad depth when it truly mattered?

Mikel Arteta rested those who had attended the Ballon d'Or ceremony the previous evening. Even without Declan Rice, Gabriel, David Raya, and the injured Bukayo Saka, this should never have been so difficult.

Arsenal still fielded seven internationals from the start—with more on the bench, a goalkeeper boasting 200 Premier League and Championship appearances, and a generational teenage talent.

Fleetwood currently sit 18th in League Two, making them the 86th-ranked team among all 92 Premier League and EFL clubs. Arsenal are the reigning English champions and trail the Premier League summit only on goal difference.

Arteta's ideal outcome would have been a comfortable lead that allowed him to protect senior players while giving youngsters valuable minutes. Instead, he couldn't afford to bring on any of the kids from the bench, and none of the three teenagers who started the match saw it through to the end. He had hoped to rest Martin Ødegaard, Ben White, Eberechi Eze, Bruno Guimarães, and Ezri Konsa, but was ultimately forced to call upon all five.

Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Fleetwood (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Illan Meslier—6.2: A somewhat puzzling selection ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga given he hasn't featured in a competitive match in over a year. Was unable to stop any of the five penalties in the shootout.

RB: Jurriën Timber—6.5: Wore the captain's armband for Arsenal for the first time but was substituted at halftime. He had a difficult evening, making it unclear whether his removal was a reaction to his performance or part of a pre-planned rotation given his carefully managed workload this season.

CB: Cristhian Mosquera—7.5: Fleetwood created little beyond their goal, which stemmed from his partner's error rather than his own. He posted solid numbers throughout.

CB: Marli Salmon—6.9: Showed confidence in possession and on the ball, but a lack of senior experience and physical development proved costly when conceding the goal.

LB: Piero Hincapié—8.2: Won 11 of 13 duels and frequently pushed forward on the left flank. Joint-top for chances created (3) in the match, though that likely reflects more on his attacking teammates who failed to deliver on the night.

CM: Martín Zubimendi—7.5: Pass, pass, pass. Reliable, but lacking in ambition.

CM: Myles Lewis-Skelly—6.6: Difficult to gauge what he contributed to the game.

RM: Max Dowman—6.4: Perhaps Arsenal's most lively player in the first half, though the standard was low. His red card suggests a lack of composure, which is forgivable at his age.

AM: Kai Havertz—7.5: Found himself in all the right areas and should have completed a hat-trick given the chances he spurned. At least he converted his penalty in the shootout.

LM: Ceadach O'Neill—6.9: Not a standout display, but his dangerous delivery into the box made the equalizer possible.

ST: Viktor Gyökeres—7.5: His goal was far from pretty. Didn't receive enough of the ball.

SUB: Martin Ødegaard (46' for Salmon)—7.7: Had an immediate positive influence on the game.

SUB: Ben White (46' for Timber)—6.8: Will be left wondering how he failed to score a late winner.

SUB: Eberechi Eze (66' for O'Neill)—7.0: Produced three chances in just 24 minutes. Perhaps he should have been in the starting lineup.

SUB: Bruno Guimarães (82' for Zubimendi)—N/A

SUB: Ezri Konsa (82' for Lewis-Skelly)—N/A:

Subs not used: Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK), Marcell Washington, Maalik Hashi, Andre Harriman-Annous.

What the Ratings Tell Us

The Numbers That Explain This Crazy Cup Shock