Arsenal humiliated as Fleetwood Town pulls off historic League Cup upset

Fleetwood Town knocked out Premier League champions Arsenal on penalties in the League Cup, a shock compared to Liverpool's FA Cup exit to Plymouth earlier this season.

Fleetwood Town eliminated Arsenal from the League Cup on Tuesday evening after a penalty shootout at Highbury, delivering what English media called a humiliating upset for the Premier League champions. The Athletic described it as "an embarrassing evening for Arsenal", while The Guardian called it "a football shock". The Daily Mail's headline read "Arsenal humiliated at Highbury", and The Sun noted that despite Arsenal having bigger priorities this season, manager Mikel Arteta's pride took a significant blow after losing to a League Two side sitting 18th in their division.

English media has begun debating whether Tuesday's result ranks among the greatest cup upsets in history. It marks only the second time a fourth-tier club has eliminated the reigning league champions in the English cup competitions — Wrexham achieved the feat in 1992 by beating Arsenal. The BBC highlighted eleven historic cup shocks, including two recent ones: Manchester United's loss to Grimsby Town under Rúben Amorim last season, and Liverpool's 1-0 FA Cup defeat to Plymouth, who were bottom of the Championship at the time. Liverpool went on to win the Premier League that season.