Fleetwood 1 Arsenal 1 (5-3 pens): Gunners dumped out in biggest EVER League Cup upset as Max Dowman sent off

MIKEL ARTETA and Arsenal may have bigger fish to fry this season than the Carabao Cup. But the Gunners boss’ pride will have taken an almighty battering after the Cod Army knocked his side out. What a night for Fleetwood – but what an embarrassment for the Premier League champions. Arsenal were sent back down south, tails between their legs, by a side sat 18th in League Two. Max Dowman being sent off only added to their misery after what must go down as one of the greatest cup shocks ever. The whole game had the feel of an upset thanks to swirling winds and the game being bizarrely stopped by a drone for EIGHT MINUTES. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL Fleetwood forward Aaron Loupalo-Bi had fans dreaming by scoring after 21 minutes. But when Viktor Gyokeres got his first goal of the season five minutes after the break, you just assumed the fairytale was over. How wrong everyone in Highbury was. The hosts battled their way to penalties and dispatched all five of them like it was a kickabout in the park. Most read in Sport BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK Arsenal scored the first three of their’s, but then came the decisive save. Fleetwood keeper Jay Lynch’s stunning stop denied Bruno Guimaraes and it left Conor Haughey to take centre stage. The 19-year-old made no mistake and the home fans rushed onto the pitch. Many of them did not want to leave – and you could not blame them. This is a club 85 places below Arsenal and now they are in the quarter-finals. The PA announcer finally got supporters off the pitch by informing them happy hour was being extended in the stadium’s bar. Arteta could have probably done with a stiff drink after this. Arsenal fans usually love the name Higbury, but they and Arteta will be glad to see the back of this ground. His side were sloppy and shambolic, certainly a shadow of the team they will need to be at Anfield on Sunday. A long trip up north always looked a tough test for the Prem champions, especially with the last blows of Storm Boelo knocking about. The Cod Army’s home is Highbury, but with a capacity of 5,327 it is very different to Arsenal’s old ground. The two may share the same name, however that is where the similarities end. Fleetwood’s Highbury is in stark contrast to the marble halls of North London and its compact nature gave the venue a giant-killing feel. Arteta clearly wanted to avoid that and this was a strong team. Jurrien Timber, Kai Havertz and Gyokeres all started, while teenage forward Ceadach O’Neill and goalkeeper Illan Meslier were handed debuts. And one of Meslier’s first actions was to pick the ball out of his own net. The game had got off to a freak start as inside a minute a drone stopped play. Both sets of players stood in the freezing cold for over eight minutes until it finally flew off and play could resume. And it was Fleetwood who settled quicker after the delay, deservedly taking the lead in the 21st minute. Neal hooked a ball forward and Fulham loanee Loupalo-Bi held off Marli Salmon before scoring. The home fans went wild and the goal was greeted by the Captain Pugwash theme tune blaring from the speakers. Arsenal looked all at sea, with sloppy passes and overhit crosses hardly a response to going behind. Arteta’s answer at the break was to bring on Ben White and Martin Odegaard for Salmon and Timber. It did the trick. Odegaard added some energy to the attack and, five minutes into the second half, Gyokeres’ scruffy effort had Arsenal level. The Gunners did not kick on from there and instead they unravelled. Dowman kicked out at Neal after a firm challenge, perhaps a sign of how at 16 he is still learning. As he left the pitch, an angry looking Arteta appeared to have some stern words for the teenager. But even then you expected Arsenal to keep their cool in the shootout. Odegaard, Havertz and Gyokeres all did that by finding the net, however Guimaraes’ miss was decisive. Ronan Coughlan, Neal, Will Davies and Andy Cannon all slotted their efforts for Fleetwood and Haughey did the honours with the fifth. A result that seemed like a dream to those at Fleetwood suddenly became a reality.