Fleetwood-Arsenal halted for eight minutes because of drone

What the report says

Arsenal’s Carabao Cup last-16 match at Fleetwood Town was paused for more than eight minutes on Tuesday after a drone was seen above Highbury Stadium while play was underway. BBC Sport reported that referee Michael Salisbury stopped the game with just over a minute played, as Arsenal were preparing to take a free-kick, and then spoke with both benches while police looked into the incident.

Players stayed warm during the interruption and spectators booed from the stands. After discussions with the managers and captains, the referee initially signalled for the teams to move toward the touchline, but the drone soon flew away and the match resumed with 10 minutes on the clock. BBC Sport said police later found the drone operator, though no further details were provided in the report.

The delay mattered because it affected the opening stages of a major cup tie for Fleetwood, whose meeting with Arsenal was described by a commentator as an unusually high-profile home fixture. Under Football Association guidance, referees are expected to stop play if a drone is spotted above the pitch and to keep the game halted until it leaves the area; if it does not, teams may be sent back to dressing rooms. Seven minutes of stoppage time were added at the end of the first half because of the disruption.