Ben Knapman said the Fleetwood Town vs Arsenal upset was the best moment of his life after Fleetwood Town beat Arsenal on penalties in the EFL Cup on Tuesday. The tie finished 1-1, but the mood at Highbury Stadium belonged to the League Two side after the final kick.
The atmosphere after the winning penalty
Connor Haughey scored the winning penalty, then fans flooded the pitch. Knapman, who was at his 300th match at Highbury Stadium, said: "time just stood still for five seconds, people are pushing you and celebrating, but I was just so shocked, and obviously over the moon." He added: "I've been going to Fleetwood for 15 years - I've never heard an atmosphere like that."
The scale of the night was part of the appeal. Fleetwood Town, 18th in League Two, had already won 3 of their last 4 cup matches, while Arsenal arrived second in the Premier League with 21 points from 8 matches and unbeaten in their Champions League league-phase games so far. The gap in status made the reaction inside the ground louder, not quieter.
Matt Lawlor on a remote chance
Matt Lawlor said Fleetwood knew they had a chance, but it was a "remote chance". He also said it was "really brilliant to see how the elite operate", a line that fits a manager who had just watched his side live through an upset against a club at the other end of the football food chain.
Lawlor also called it an "amazing money-maker for the club to get an away fixture at a big team in the next round." The result does not say anything broader about Fleetwood's season, but it does leave them heading into the FA Cup home tie against Rochdale on 2026-11-07 with a real lift behind them.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
