Jack the Giant Killer, "Fleetwood Town," an EFL League Two club, stunned the world by knocking "Arsenal" out of the 2026-27 Carabao Cup Round of 16.
The nickname "Jack the Giant Killer" now belongs to Fleetwood Town, an EFL League Two (English fourth division) side, after they made history in a stunning upset. They hosted Arsenal, known as the "Gunners," at Highbury Stadium, winning 5-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in regular time. This victory propelled them into the quarterfinals of the 2026-27 English Carabao Cup and eliminated the previous season's Premier League champions in the last 16.
Fleetwood Town is based in the town of Fleetwood in Lancashire, England. Their home ground, Highbury Stadium—named after Arsenal's former stadium—has a capacity of around 5,471 seats. The club was originally founded in 1908 but was dissolved several times due to financial difficulties before being re-established in 1997.
A key turning point came in 2004 when local businessman Andy Pilley took over the club and invested seriously in building the team. This ushered in a golden era of rapid ascent from the lowest leagues to professional status, highlighted by six promotions over ten years from 2004 to 2014.
One of the most talked-about stories about the club is that they signed Jamie Vardy in the 2011–12 season for a modest fee of around £30,000 (approximately 1,348,378 baht). Vardy scored 31 goals in 36 games that season, helping the club secure promotion.
The club later sold him to the "Foxes" Leicester City for a then non-league record £1 million (about 44,945,960 baht). Vardy went on to create a fairy-tale story by winning the Premier League title thereafter.
Currently, Fleetwood Town is competing with the goal of securing promotion back up the leagues after relegation to League Two. While their league form may be modest, their 2026-27 Carabao Cup run has been outstanding, beginning with a 1-0 win over Chesterfield in the first round, followed by a 4-0 thrashing of Shrewsbury Town in round two, and a narrow 1-0 victory against Sheffield United in round three.
In the fourth round, or last 16, they faced Arsenal, who had just won the top-flight league title last season. Many expected Arsenal to end Fleetwood’s run given the difference in stature. However, Fleetwood Town defied expectations by winning the penalty shootout 5-3, advancing to the Carabao Cup quarterfinals for the first time in their history.