Fleetwood Town defender Conor Haughey has reflected on an "unbelievable and a surreal moment" after striking the decisive penalty to dump Premier League champions Arsenal out of the Carabao Cup. The League Two outfit, currently situated 84 places below the Gunners in the football pyramid, completed one of the competition's most remarkable upsets with a 5-3 shootout win in their last-16 tie at Highbury Stadium. The dramatic finish came after Aaron Loupalo-Bi's opening goal was cancelled out by Viktor Gyokeres, leaving the 19-year-old Northern Ireland Under-21 international to plant his fifth spot-kick into the top corner beyond goalkeeper Illan Meslier and trigger a mass pitch invasion.
Haughey, who previously became the youngest player in Glentoran's history after debuting against Lisburn Distillery at 15 in September 2022 before moving to Fleetwood in the summer of 2023, put his hand up to be the fifth taker after the initial four were confirmed. Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch eased the pressure on the centre-back by turning away a tame attempt from Bruno Guimaraes. When Haughey successfully dispatched his effort, he charged towards friends and family from Belfast who were the first to enter the pitch. Watching from the stands was Northern Ireland senior boss Michael O'Neill, who also saw Haughey's former JD Academy room-mate, Ceadach O'Neill, provide an assist on his first Arsenal start.
The defender's celebrations were followed by a phone that would not function for two to three hours due to an overwhelming influx of congratulatory messages, while his sweary post-match interview quickly gained traction across social media. Haughey, who comes from Belfast's New Lodge, explained that his emotions were running wild and that his background naturally surfaced during the broadcast. Speaking less than 24 hours later while playing FIFA with Arsenal players in his virtual lineup, the teenager stated that the victory against the champions had still not completely registered, though he credited the team for strictly executing their pre-match gameplan.
Fleetwood now enter the Carabao Cup quarter-final draw, which takes place on Wednesday evening following the fixture between Chelsea and Liverpool. Haughey confessed he will feel "a bit giddy" when the remaining sides learn their fate, but the confident teenager made no secret of who he wants to draw next at Highbury Stadium, declaring: "Man City. Simple as that."