In the delirium of Fleetwood Town ’s victory over Premier League champions Arsenal , in perhaps the biggest shock in Carabao Cup history, there were no secrets, no hidden tactics.

Instead, manager Matt Lawlor celebrated the greatest win of his career and the most momentous night in Fleetwood’s history with disarming honesty. “We haven't practised once,” he said, after the League Two side converted five of the coolest penalties you are ever going to see, right up to 19-year-old centre-back Conor Haughey putting their final one top bins. “I'm not going to blag that we had some meticulous penalties [planned], we haven't.”

Lawlor hadn’t been too sure of the rules, either. As Fleetwood were hanging on against Arsenal’s second-half siege and substitute Martin Odegaard threatened to crack the code that was their deep defence with a moment of magic, Lawlor thought his team were clinging on for extra-time until one of his assistants reminded him the English Football League scrapped that years ago.…