Fleetwood Town Knock Out Arsenal On Penalties In EFL Cup

Fleetwood Town manager Matt Lawlor was not trying to hide his satisfaction after his side ended Arsenal's interest in the EFL Cup. The tie was decided on penalties, and the Premier League champions went out at the hands of a club from a much lower level of the English game.

Results like this are the reason the EFL Cup remains popular with lower-league clubs. The competition gives sides from outside the top flight a chance to test themselves against some of the biggest names in the sport, and a cup tie can turn on a few decisive moments. A penalty shootout is about as unforgiving as those moments get, and Fleetwood came through the one that mattered.

Lawlor's reaction spoke to what the win meant beyond the scoreline. For a squad and a support base used to measuring success on their own terms, beating a club of Arsenal's stature is the kind of night that gets retold for years. Whatever comes next in the competition, Fleetwood have already given the tournament one of its more talked-about results.