Third-tier Brentford knocked Premier League Everton out of the English Football League Cup on penalties in the shock result of the third round on Tuesday.
The Bees, 19th in League One, came from a goal behind against the Merseysiders, 19th in the top flight, to come back to 1-1 at full-time.
Extra-time could not separate the sides and come the penalty shoot-out, Brentford held their nerve, with the west London team on target with all four of their kicks and Everton missing twice to spark a joyous pitch invasion at Griffin Park.
Brentford keeper Richard Lee saved Jermaine Beckford’s spot-kick with the scores at 3-3 before Charlie MacDonald, who had earlier missed a penalty in normal time, scored to put the pressure on Phil Jagielka, who fired his shot at the post.
Full-back Seamus Coleman had earlier given Everton a sixth-minute lead but Gary Alexander headed Brentford level four minutes before half-time.
“We just couldn’t score,” said Everton manager David Moyes, whose side have now gone four games without a win.
“We should have got it out of sight.”
He added: “We abused the opportunities we had to score and knew that they would keep coming and in football you have to take those chances when they come.”
Delighted Brentford boss Andy Scott said: “It’s the biggest win as a game for me as a manager.
“They have played their first team and brought on [Stephen] Pienaar, [Mikael] Arteta and Beckford so we have come up against a very strong side and have beaten them.”
Penalties also played their part across the capital as Samir Nasri scored twice from the spot in extra-time as Arsenal beat north London rivals Tottenham 4-1.
Henri Lansbury had given the Gunners, who had manager Arsene Wenger serving a touchline ban, a first-half lead at White Hart Lane; Robbie Keane equalised just after the interval.
Nasri struck twice after he had been brought down by Sebastian Bassong and Marouane Chamakh pulled back by Steven Caulker.
Andrey Arshavin added a fourth goal.
‘The only disappointment of the night’
The only concern for Wenger was an injury to Kieran Gibbs.
“We have to check, that is the only disappointment of the night, because Gibbs had a very good game,” he said.
“It is a metatarsal again, it is the one next to the one he had broken, the second one, so we hope we have good news tomorrow [Wednesday] morning, because that would be a massive blow to us.”
Burnley, now in the Championship, made it an unwelcome return to Turf Moor for former manager Owen Coyle as they beat his Premier League Bolton side 1-0 thanks to Wade Elliott’s 45th-minute volley, ruled a goal after the linesman informed referee Mark Clattenburg the ball had crossed the line.
Stoke beat Fulham 2-0 after goals from Danny Higginbotham and Kenwyne Jones, while another all-Premier League clash saw West Ham win 2-1 away to Stoke City.
Nigeria international Victor Obinna gave West Ham their first victory over Premier League opposition this season with a 2-1 win at Sunderland.
The 23-year-old struck 14 minutes after the break after Sunderland’s record signing, Asamoah Gyan, had earlier cancelled out Frederic Piquionne’s opener for the visitors.
Wolves suffered a fright before winning 4-2 in extra-time against Notts County.
Birmingham City scored three goals in four first-half minutes as they beat MK Dons 3-1 at St Andrews while Ipswich beat fellow Championship side Millwall 2-1.
Former Chelsea winger Scott Sinclair scored a hat-trick as Championship Swansea beat League One Peterborough.
Elsewhere first-half goals from Michael Morrison and Lloyd Dyer saw Leicester beat 10-man Portsmouth 2-1.
Championship strugglers Pompey had Richard Hughes sent off before Liam Lawrence pulled a goal back at Fratton Park.
Holders Manchester United begin the defence of their title away to Scunthorpe on Wednesday, when Chelsea play Newcastle. — AFP