Fleetwood Town celebrates knocking Arsenal out of the competition, 80 places apart.

More than 80 places separate the two teams in the English football pyramid, with Arsenal's star-studded squad valued at around $1.6 billion, while Fleetwood's squad is worth just $3 million, a stark contrast.

Mikel Arteta led Arsenal to 5 trophies, including last season's Premier League title, and a place in the final of the Champions League.
Meanwhile, Matt Lawlor, the Fleetwood manager, has been in his first major managerial role for less than a year, having started as an interim in January before being appointed permanently in March.

Lawlor, 38, from the nearby Bolton-le-Fylde area, said: "I tried not to cry, and I succeeded. I held myself together. My family, and my young son who is here, we are all from this area."

He added: "I looked around and saw the fans cheering passionately, and there were people I know who I grew up with. Of course, this is incredibly special and very emotional, to achieve something of this magnitude early in my coaching career."

The team that pulled off a stunning upset by toppling one of the giants of English football:

 "Cod Army"

Fleetwood is a seaside town located in northwest England, with a population of around 26,000.

The town is more famous for being the home of the iconic "Fisherman's Friend" lozenges than for its football team.

The team is nicknamed "The Cod Army," while their supporters are known as "Cod Army," due to the town's history linked to the fishing industry.

A shared link between Fleetwood and Arsenal

Almost literally, as Fleetwood plays its matches at a stadium named "Highbury," the venue that witnessed the major cup upset on Tuesday.

Although this name matches the historic former home of Arsenal, which hosted the London club's matches from 1913 to 2006, the

similarity is purely coincidental, and the current stadium is entirely different from what Arsenal players were used to in the Premier League.

The small Fleetwood stadium derives its name from a nearby road, has a capacity of just 5,300, and features only 4 parking spaces, forcing Arsenal representatives to seek alternative parking in the surrounding streets, according to The Guardian.

The match against Arsenal was the first to see a full sell-out at Fleetwood in over a decade.

 The former club of Jamie Vardy

Fleetwood is particularly known for being the club where Jamie Vardy, the Leicester City striker and former England international, rose to prominence.

Vardy spent just one season with the club, helping Fleetwood rise from the fifth tier, outside the professional leagues, to the English Football League, before moving to Leicester City in 2012.

The transfer of Jamie Vardy to Leicester City, who were then playing in the Championship, for $1.3 million, remained the longest-standing record for the highest transfer fee for a player from outside the professional leagues, until that record was broken two months ago.

Former owner in prison

Andy Pilley served as chairman and owner of Fleetwood until his resignation in 2023, just before being sentenced to 13 years in prison for fraud, with his appeal rejected in February of this year.

Pilley had invested over $13 million in the club, which saw a complete renovation of Highbury during his tenure.

In May 2023, Pilley was convicted for his role in a fraud scheme worth millions of pounds, where companies were tricked into signing costly energy contracts, and his son, Jamie Pilley, took over management of Fleetwood in May 2024.

From amateur leagues to toppling Arsenal

During Andy Pilley's tenure, the club experienced remarkable progress, achieving 6 promotions over 10 seasons, including entering the "Football League" for the first time in 2012, reaching League One in 2014.

Fleetwood's best finish in the English football pyramid was fourth place in League One during the 2016/2017 season, before the team was relegated back to League Two in 2024.

After the heroic performance the team delivered on Tuesday night, despite Arsenal resting some of their first-team stars, they fielded a strong lineup, and Fleetwood must now shift their focus immediately to their match on Saturday against Bristol Rovers.

Fleetwood currently sits 18th in League Two, which consists of 24 teams, putting them very close to the relegation zone, especially after securing just one win in their last eight league matches.

Lawlor said: "Football has become more, I don't know how to describe it, perhaps more cold and detached. But in that moment, that feeling returned to all of us as football fans, isn't that what we live for?"

He added: "I wanted us to maintain this momentum, to make this feeling we created here something we can replicate regularly".

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Came this question from the team playing in English League Two on social media, after knocking out Arsenal, Premier League champions, from the EFL Cup on Tuesday, after a penalty shootout.

There was no doubt about it, as Fleetwood fans woke up on Wednesday still struggling to believe what had happened, after one of the biggest surprises in the tournament's 66-year history.

More than 80 places separate the two teams in the English football pyramid, with Arsenal's star-studded squad valued at around $1.6 billion, while Fleetwood's squad is worth just $3 million, a stark contrast.

Mikel Arteta led Arsenal to 5 trophies, including last season's Premier League title, and a place in the final of the Champions League.
Meanwhile, Matt Lawlor, the Fleetwood manager, has been in his first major managerial role for less than a year, having started as an interim in January before being appointed permanently in March.

Lawlor, 38, from the nearby Bolton-le-Fylde area, said: "I tried not to cry, and I succeeded. I held myself together. My family, and my young son who is here, we are all from this area."

He added: "I looked around and saw the fans cheering passionately, and there were people I know who I grew up with. Of course, this is incredibly special and very emotional, to achieve something of this magnitude early in my coaching career."

The team that pulled off a stunning upset by toppling one of the giants of English football:

 "Cod Army"

Fleetwood is a seaside town located in northwest England, with a population of around 26,000.

The town is more famous for being the home of the iconic "Fisherman's Friend" lozenges than for its football team.

The team is nicknamed "The Cod Army," while their supporters are known as "Cod Army," due to the town's history linked to the fishing industry.

A shared link between Fleetwood and Arsenal

Almost literally, as Fleetwood plays its matches at a stadium named "Highbury," the venue that witnessed the major cup upset on Tuesday.

Although this name matches the historic former home of Arsenal, which hosted the London club's matches from 1913 to 2006, the

similarity is purely coincidental, and the current stadium is entirely different from what Arsenal players were used to in the Premier League.

The small Fleetwood stadium derives its name from a nearby road, has a capacity of just 5,300, and features only 4 parking spaces, forcing Arsenal representatives to seek alternative parking in the surrounding streets, according to The Guardian.

The match against Arsenal was the first to see a full sell-out at Fleetwood in over a decade.

 The former club of Jamie Vardy

Fleetwood is particularly known for being the club where Jamie Vardy, the Leicester City striker and former England international, rose to prominence.

Vardy spent just one season with the club, helping Fleetwood rise from the fifth tier, outside the professional leagues, to the English Football League, before moving to Leicester City in 2012.

The transfer of Jamie Vardy to Leicester City, who were then playing in the Championship, for $1.3 million, remained the longest-standing record for the highest transfer fee for a player from outside the professional leagues, until that record was broken two months ago.

Former owner in prison

Andy Pilley served as chairman and owner of Fleetwood until his resignation in 2023, just before being sentenced to 13 years in prison for fraud, with his appeal rejected in February of this year.

Pilley had invested over $13 million in the club, which saw a complete renovation of Highbury during his tenure.

In May 2023, Pilley was convicted for his role in a fraud scheme worth millions of pounds, where companies were tricked into signing costly energy contracts, and his son, Jamie Pilley, took over management of Fleetwood in May 2024.

From amateur leagues to toppling Arsenal

During Andy Pilley's tenure, the club experienced remarkable progress, achieving 6 promotions over 10 seasons, including entering the "Football League" for the first time in 2012, reaching League One in 2014.

Fleetwood's best finish in the English football pyramid was fourth place in League One during the 2016/2017 season, before the team was relegated back to League Two in 2024.

After the heroic performance the team delivered on Tuesday night, despite Arsenal resting some of their first-team stars, they fielded a strong lineup, and Fleetwood must now shift their focus immediately to their match on Saturday against Bristol Rovers.

Fleetwood currently sits 18th in League Two, which consists of 24 teams, putting them very close to the relegation zone, especially after securing just one win in their last eight league matches.

Lawlor said: "Football has become more, I don't know how to describe it, perhaps more cold and detached. But in that moment, that feeling returned to all of us as football fans, isn't that what we live for?"

He added: "I wanted us to maintain this momentum, to make this feeling we created here something we can replicate regularly".

">

Came this question from the team playing in English League Two on social media, after knocking out Arsenal, Premier League champions, from the EFL Cup on Tuesday, after a penalty shootout.

There was no doubt about it, as Fleetwood fans woke up on Wednesday still struggling to believe what had happened, after one of the biggest surprises in the tournament's 66-year history.

More than 80 places separate the two teams in the English football pyramid, with Arsenal's star-studded squad valued at around $1.6 billion, while Fleetwood's squad is worth just $3 million, a stark contrast.

Mikel Arteta led Arsenal to 5 trophies, including last season's Premier League title, and a place in the final of the Champions League.
Meanwhile, Matt Lawlor, the Fleetwood manager, has been in his first major managerial role for less than a year, having started as an interim in January before being appointed permanently in March.

Lawlor, 38, from the nearby Bolton-le-Fylde area, said: "I tried not to cry, and I succeeded. I held myself together. My family, and my young son who is here, we are all from this area."

He added: "I looked around and saw the fans cheering passionately, and there were people I know who I grew up with. Of course, this is incredibly special and very emotional, to achieve something of this magnitude early in my coaching career."

The team that pulled off a stunning upset by toppling one of the giants of English football:

 "Cod Army"

Fleetwood is a seaside town located in northwest England, with a population of around 26,000.

The town is more famous for being the home of the iconic "Fisherman's Friend" lozenges than for its football team.

The team is nicknamed "The Cod Army," while their supporters are known as "Cod Army," due to the town's history linked to the fishing industry.

A shared link between Fleetwood and Arsenal

Almost literally, as Fleetwood plays its matches at a stadium named "Highbury," the venue that witnessed the major cup upset on Tuesday.

Although this name matches the historic former home of Arsenal, which hosted the London club's matches from 1913 to 2006, the

similarity is purely coincidental, and the current stadium is entirely different from what Arsenal players were used to in the Premier League.

The small Fleetwood stadium derives its name from a nearby road, has a capacity of just 5,300, and features only 4 parking spaces, forcing Arsenal representatives to seek alternative parking in the surrounding streets, according to The Guardian.

The match against Arsenal was the first to see a full sell-out at Fleetwood in over a decade.

 The former club of Jamie Vardy

Fleetwood is particularly known for being the club where Jamie Vardy, the Leicester City striker and former England international, rose to prominence.

Vardy spent just one season with the club, helping Fleetwood rise from the fifth tier, outside the professional leagues, to the English Football League, before moving to Leicester City in 2012.

The transfer of Jamie Vardy to Leicester City, who were then playing in the Championship, for $1.3 million, remained the longest-standing record for the highest transfer fee for a player from outside the professional leagues, until that record was broken two months ago.

Former owner in prison

Andy Pilley served as chairman and owner of Fleetwood until his resignation in 2023, just before being sentenced to 13 years in prison for fraud, with his appeal rejected in February of this year.

Pilley had invested over $13 million in the club, which saw a complete renovation of Highbury during his tenure.

In May 2023, Pilley was convicted for his role in a fraud scheme worth millions of pounds, where companies were tricked into signing costly energy contracts, and his son, Jamie Pilley, took over management of Fleetwood in May 2024.

From amateur leagues to toppling Arsenal

During Andy Pilley's tenure, the club experienced remarkable progress, achieving 6 promotions over 10 seasons, including entering the "Football League" for the first time in 2012, reaching League One in 2014.

Fleetwood's best finish in the English football pyramid was fourth place in League One during the 2016/2017 season, before the team was relegated back to League Two in 2024.

After the heroic performance the team delivered on Tuesday night, despite Arsenal resting some of their first-team stars, they fielded a strong lineup, and Fleetwood must now shift their focus immediately to their match on Saturday against Bristol Rovers.

Fleetwood currently sits 18th in League Two, which consists of 24 teams, putting them very close to the relegation zone, especially after securing just one win in their last eight league matches.

Lawlor said: "Football has become more, I don't know how to describe it, perhaps more cold and detached. But in that moment, that feeling returned to all of us as football fans, isn't that what we live for?"

He added: "I wanted us to maintain this momentum, to make this feeling we created here something we can replicate regularly".

">that we created here something we can replicate regularly".

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