Fleetwood Town Stun Arsenal on Penalties in Carabao Cup Upset

On a wet and windy night on England's north-west coast, League Two side Fleetwood Town pulled off one of the biggest shocks of the domestic cup season, beating Premier League champions Arsenal on penalties to send them out of the Carabao Cup. It is the kind of result that gets remembered long after the final whistle, and it came from a club several divisions below the team they beat.

The fallout reached the fishing town the next morning, where residents were still struggling to take in what had happened. Many described a feeling of disbelief that a side from their part of the world had toppled a club of Arsenal's stature, even if the scoreline was settled only from the spot.

There is also a neat historical thread tying the two clubs together. Arsenal played at their iconic Highbury stadium until 2006, when they moved to the Emirates. Fleetwood's ground carries the same name, taken from Highbury Avenue, the street that runs alongside it. So a small club with a name borrowed from one of Arsenal's most famous former homes has now knocked the modern side out of the competition.

For Fleetwood, the win is a moment to savour. Cup runs like this one can bring a surge of attention, sponsorship interest and pride to a club that spends most of its time far from the national spotlight. For Arsenal, it is an uncomfortable night to file away, and a reminder that the Carabao Cup can be a dangerous competition for even the strongest squads.