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League Two side Fleetwood Town produced a major shock by taking the lead against Premier League champions Arsenal in the Carabao Cup last 16. As reported by 101 Great Goals, the encounter at Highbury experienced a bizarre delay after a drone flew over the stadium before the hosts stunned their top-flight opponents.
The Opening Goal
On-loan Fulham forward Aaron Loupalo-Bi broke the deadlock in the 21st minute, chasing a ball in behind and using his strength to get past Arsenal teenager Marli Salmon. He drove into the penalty area, held off pressure, and slotted the ball through Islan Meslier’s legs to give the fourth-tier team a famous advantage. The defending from Arsenal left manager Mikel Arteta’s side exposed, with Salmon isolated in a one-on-one situation.
Team Lineups and Broadcast Information
Fleetwood made two changes from their 2-1 defeat at Exeter City, with Aaron Loupalo-Bi replacing suspended forward Lewis McCann and Rhys Bennett returning for Ronan Coughlan. Arsenal made nine alterations following their win over Everton, keeping only Myles Lewis-Skelly and Viktor Gyokeres in the starting eleven, while Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, and Christos Tzolis remained sidelined through injury.
The match was broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football, and Sky Sports Ultra, with streaming available via Now TV.
Carabao Cup Context and Quarter-Final Draw
Fleetwood entered the fixture having never beaten top-flight opposition in five previous attempts, though they reached the fourth round for the first time in their 15th EFL Cup campaign. Meanwhile, Arsenal aimed to avoid a repeat of previous lower-tier cup exits, having lost to Bradford City on penalties in 2012/13 in their most recent fourth-tier matchup.
The draw for the EFL Cup quarter-finals is scheduled for Wednesday, October 28, following the match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield. Presented by Dave Jones alongside former England defenders Conor Coady and Graeme Le Saux, the draw is expected to take place at approximately 22:00 GMT with live coverage on Sky Sports and ITV1.
