On the Fylde Coast, with Highbury bathed in floodlights, the scene was perfectly set for a classic old-school English League Cup night.

Even Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta appreciated the spectacle before kick-off.

"It's always very special. This competition, coming to this kind of ground, it's proper English football."

The beauty of occasions like this is that anything feels possible. For Fleetwood, that belief was rewarded in the 21st minute when Harrison Neal's long ball forward was latched onto by Aaron Loupalo-Bi, who coolly slotted home to give the League Two side an unlikely lead.

This was a battle. The hosts were throwing everything at it, as you'd expect them to, and Arsenal were forced to search for a response.

Half-time brought changes for the visitors. The introduction of Ben White and Martin Odegaard to try and get their side back on level terms.

And so the equaliser arrived. A teasing ball into the box picked out Viktor Gyokeres, who lifted it beyond Lynch to bring Arsenal level. His first domestic goal of the campaign when it was needed most.

What followed was a tense, edge-of-the-seat finale. The Gunners attacked in numbers to avoid the lottery of penalties, while Fleetwood put every man on the line to keep them at bay. Then the odds tilted further against Arsenal when Max Dowman was shown a red card with only minutes left.

Lynch came to Fleetwood's rescue with two excellent saves from White and Odegaard in stoppage time, forcing spot kicks.

Fleetwood's fairytayle: How the Cod Army created Carabao Cup history

Fleetwood's fairytayle: How the Cod Army created Carabao Cup history