‘That was what you live for’: Fleetwood revel in ‘unbelievably special’ Arsenal win

Manager Matt Lawlor, born and raised in area, reflects on celebrating win with ‘people that I knew and grew up with’

Fleetwood’s manager, Matt Lawlor, hailed the club’s victory as one for all football after his side shocked the Premier League champions, Arsenal, on penalties in the Carabao Cup. The side 18th in League Two held their nerve in the shootout, Conor Haughey hitting the winner to reach the quarter-finals.

The goalkeeper, Jay Lynch, was Fleetwood’s other hero, saving from Bruno Guimarães to set up the chance for victory. Aaron Loupalo‑Bi and Viktor Gyökeres ensured it finished 1-1 in normal time, but Arsenal ended up a man light after Max Dowman was shown a red card for reacting to a challenge.

Asked if Fleetwood’s win was the story of the season, Lawlor said: “Yeah, I hope so. Football’s getting a little bit more, I don’t know, clinical and sanitised. And that to me there was that feeling that we all get as football fans. That was what you kind of live for, isn’t it? To be a part of it is special. To be giving that to football fans, and especially Fleetwood fans, is unbelievably special. And yeah, something that I’m really proud of.”

Lawlor was clearly emotional at full-time as many of the 4,000 home supporters streamed on to the pitch to celebrate beating a team 84 places above them. “I was trying to not cry and I didn’t. I’ve managed to hold it,” he said. “My family, my little boy here, we’re all local. I was turning around and people were screaming at me in the crowd and people that I knew and grew up with, that I went to school with or they’ve got a loose connection, and people that jumped out on to the pitch.

“That’s really special and really emotional. To do something that special early in my career as well, it’s an emotional night. It is emotional. Emotional for the players, emotional for me.”

This was Dowman’s second red card of the month, having been sent off for England Under-19s, providing a steep learning curve for the talented teenager. Mikel Arteta was clearly unimpressed. “When we prepare the context of the match, we were very clear on the things you expect, the things that emotionally we have to dominate.

It was very clear,” said Arteta, who appeared to aim criticism at Dowman as he walked past him after being sent off.