Penalty against Arsenal 'like a dream' for Haughey

Fleetwood Town defender Conor Haughey scored the winning penalty in a 5-3 shootout to eliminate Premier League champions Arsenal from the Carabao Cup.

Fleetwood Town pulled off one of the biggest shocks in Carabao Cup history, eliminating Premier League champions Arsenal 5-3 on penalties at Highbury Stadium. The 19-year-old centre-back Conor Haughey scored the decisive fifth penalty, firing confidently into the top corner after goalkeeper Jay Lynch had saved Bruno Guimaraes' attempt to put the pressure on Arsenal.

Haughey, a Northern Ireland Under-21 international who joined Fleetwood from Glentoran in summer 2023, volunteered to take a spot kick after the match went to penalties following a 2-2 draw. He described the moment as surreal, saying his phone was flooded with messages from friends and family back home in Belfast. His post-match interview, in which his excitement spilled over, went viral on social media.

Fleetwood, who sit 84 places below Arsenal in the football pyramid, will face the winner of Chelsea versus Liverpool in the quarter-finals. Haughey said the magnitude of the victory has not fully sunk in, adding that beating the Premier League champions is history for the club's fans.