Arabic version: فليتوود تاون بلا خوف بعد صدمة أرسنال في الكأس

According to BBC News, Fleetwood Town reached the EFL Cup quarter-finals for the first time after beating Arsenal on penalties, producing one of the competition’s biggest upsets. The League Two side were 83 places below the reigning Premier League champions and had entered the tie with little expectation.

Aaron Loupalo-Bi put Fleetwood ahead after 21 minutes before Viktor Gyokeres equalised after the break. Arsenal’s Max Dowman was sent off for kicking out following a robust challenge from Harrison Neal, while Fleetwood stayed resolute to force a shootout. Conor Haughey scored the decisive penalty, prompting fans to spill on to the pitch.

Goalkeeper Jay Lynch made saves against Ben White, Martin Odegaard and Bruno Guimaraes in the shootout. He said the team had taken heart from Grimsby’s victory over Manchester United in the competition last season and believed the difficult weather conditions at Highbury could help the home side.

Manager Matt Lawlor called it the biggest night in the club’s history in terms of the opposition visiting Fleetwood. Left-back Jake Batty said the side should be fearless after reaching the last eight and hoped for another home draw. Fleetwood, 18th in League Two and with one win in eight league games, return to league action against Bristol Rovers on Saturday.