Arsenal slumped to one of the biggest upsets in the English League Cup’s 66-year history, with the Premier League champion knocked out by fourth-tier Fleetwood Town in a penalty shootout in the last 16 on Tuesday.
Five months after losing on spot kicks to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, Arsenal endured more shootout misery — this time at the 5,300-capacity Highbury Stadium, the intimate home ground of Fleetwood that bears the same name as Arsenal’s storied former stadium. Fleetwood — a team 84 positions further down the English soccer pyramid than Arsenal — converted all of its penalties and won the shootout 5-3. Vardy was there for just one season and helped Fleetwood gain promotion out of the fifth tier, and into the English Football League, before getting a move to Leicester in 2012. In 2013, Bradford became the first fourth-tier team in more than 50 years to get to the final and lost 5-0 to Swansea at Wembley Stadium.
“The biggest night in the club’s history in terms of opposition coming to town and we’ve managed to beat the (Premier League) champions,” Fleetwood manager Matt Lawlor said. Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch, the star of the shootout after parrying aside Guimaraes’ attempt, said the team was inspired by another League Cup upset delivered by a fourth-tier side last season. Arsenal’s Bruno Guimaraes saw his shot saved in the only failed attempt in the shootout. Jubilant home fans streamed onto the field after Conor Haughey dispatched the clinching penalty for Fleetwood, which had never reached this stage of the competition before and — in 18th place in League Two — was the lowest-ranked club left in the draw. It eliminated Arsenal on the path to the title match that season.
