Sky Sports issued a rapid apology after Conor Haughey's expletive-laden live television interview moments after his winning penalty knocked Arsenal out of the Carabao Cup. The reigning Premier League champions suffered what was described as arguably the biggest upset in League Cup history against Fleetwood Town.
Haughey's Decisive Spot-Kick
Fulham loanee Aaron Loupalo-Bi put the League Two outfit ahead, before Viktor Gyokeres equalised in the second half. However, Mikel Arteta's men could not find a winner, and their evening worsened when 16-year-old Max Dowman was sent off late on for lashing out after being tackled, drawing his manager's fury on the touchline. Bruno Guimaraes had his penalty saved, with Haughey smashing home the decisive spot-kick.
The hero could not contain his emotions during his post-match chat when questioned about one of the most stunning results English football has ever seen. When Sky Sports asked what was running through his head before taking his penalty, he replied: "I don't know, just pick my spot and put it in. Hit the top corner and run like f***."
Reaction From the Fleetwood Camp
The expletive prompted the reporter to issue multiple apologies, reports the Mirror. Haughey continued: "It's just a mad old night. And the boys, I'm so proud of them, we stuck together. We've been through a rough patch in the league, and it just shows if we stick together we can get back to being good and we just beat the champions of England, so it just shows how good of a team we are. We'll think about that [the quarter-final draw] after the partying."
Goalkeeper Jay Lynch was better behaved, having also been a Fleetwood hero on the night. He said: "My voice has gone from organising the defence. The whole team throughout the game was magnificent. To beat the English champions - credit to these lads." He added: "To beat the English champions on penalties, credit to everyone one of these lads. We looked at Grimsby beating Man Utd last year. We compared it even though these are the champions. We thought 'if we lay it all out there, let's see what happens'. A typical night in Fleetwood. We were expecting a storm, we knew the conditions would be horrible, so we thought it might go in our favour. Amazing for the club, the town. Honestly it means everything to everyone."
Manager's Verdict and What's Next
Manager Matt Lawlor said: "It's really hard to address the players. I've just addressed the players after to enjoy it. We've got a league game on Saturday. I don't want to be the bearer of reality but we've got a game. I just couldn't believe it. The biggest night in the club's history in terms opposition coming to town and we've managed to beat the champions somehow."
Lawlor added: "To take it to penalties, I actually forgot it was penalties, I was preparing for extra time with five minutes to go. Someone told me it was penalties and I had a little sly grin to my face and thought 'oh my lord' - thank god for that'. I'm lost for words at the minute that we've gone up against an amazing team that are the champions of England. I can't understate that. They're the champions of England and rightly so."
Arsenal must now dust themselves off after their chastening defeat at Highbury. The Gunners return to action immediately this weekend when they face Liverpool in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Fleetwood will shift their focus to a League Two encounter with Bristol Rovers.
