Fleetwood Town produced a remarkable upset on October 27, knocking Premier League champions Arsenal out of the English League Cup to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in the club's history.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the League Two side held the London giants to a 1-1 draw at Highbury Stadium before winning 5-3 on penalties.
Aaron Loupalo-Bi, on loan from Fulham, gave Fleetwood the lead in the 21st minute before Viktor Gyokeres equalised after the break. Goalkeeper Jay Lynch emerged as one of the heroes, making several crucial saves and denying Bruno Guimaraes in the shootout. Conor Haughey converted the decisive penalty.
But who are Fleetwood Town, the modest club that has stunned one of England's biggest football institutions?
A fishing town with a 5,327-seat stadium
Fleetwood represent a coastal town of approximately 26,000 residents in Lancashire, north-west England.
Historically associated with the fishing industry, the club are nicknamed The Fishermen and the Cod Army.
Their home ground, Highbury Stadium, accommodates just 5,327 spectators. Interestingly, Arsenal's former stadium shared the same name before the London club moved to the Emirates Stadium in 2006.
A crowd of 5,002 witnessed Fleetwood's historic victory.
From non-league football to professional competition
Although football in Fleetwood dates back to 1908, the current club was established in 1997 following several financial collapses of its predecessors.
Fleetwood secured promotion to the Football League for the first time in 2012 and reached League One just two years later.
Their highest league finish came in 2016/17, when they placed fourth in League One but missed out on promotion to the Championship.
After ten seasons in the third tier, Fleetwood were relegated to League Two in 2024.
The club also played an important role in Jamie Vardy's career. The future Leicester City and England striker scored 31 league goals for Fleetwood in the 2011/12 season before joining Leicester for approximately £1 million.
Experienced players and a familiar coaching history
Fleetwood's current squad includes 37-year-old captain Ched Evans, a former Wales international who previously represented Manchester City, Sheffield United and Preston North End.
Scottish defender Shaun Rooney, who won both domestic cups with St Johnstone in 2021, is another experienced member of the squad.
Head coach Matt Lawlor took permanent charge in March 2026 after initially being appointed caretaker manager in January.
The club have previously been managed by several well-known football figures, including Joey Barton, Uwe Rosler, Scott Brown and Charlie Adam.
A remarkable cup run despite league struggles
Fleetwood's victory over Arsenal was their fourth consecutive home match in this season's League Cup.
They had previously eliminated Chesterfield (1-0), Shrewsbury Town (4-0) and Sheffield United (1-0), keeping clean sheets in all three encounters.
Their league form, however, tells a very different story.
After 13 matches, Fleetwood sit 18th out of 24 teams in League Two with just 14 points, having recorded three wins, five draws and five defeats.
They had also lost their previous two league fixtures before facing Arsenal.
The contrast makes their achievement even more extraordinary: a club battling in the lower reaches of England's fourth division has eliminated the reigning Premier League champions.
Fleetwood will discover their quarter-final opponents in the October 28 draw, with the ties scheduled for December.
For now, the small fishing town on England's north-west coast can celebrate one of the most memorable nights in its football history.
