Arsenal suffered humiliation in the League Cup quarter-finals on this day in 2012 as they lost on penalties to League Two side Bradford after a 1-1 draw at Valley Parade.
The Bantams went on to defeat another top-flight team, Aston Villa, in a two-legged semi-final before being beaten 5-0 by Swansea in the Capital One Cup final at Wembley.
Phil Parkinson’s men outplayed the woeful Gunners for much of the last-eight clash on a bitterly cold night in West Yorkshire.
Garry Thompson had warmed the home crowd up when his volley gave Bradford the lead in the 16th minute following a free-kick.
Francis Coquelin later hit the post for Arsenal and team-mate Gervinho somehow missed a tap-in at an open goal.
Gunners captain Thomas Vermaelen, though, headed in with just three minutes left to send the tie into extra time.
Bradford goalkeeper Matt Duke is mobbed by his team-mates after the penalty shoot-out (Anna Gowthorpe/PA)
With neither team able to conjure a winner, the match went to a penalty shoot-out.
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After Santi Cazorla and Marouane Chamakh both failed to convert past Bradford keeper Matt Duke, it was down to Vermaelen to keep the Gunners in it.
The Belgian saw his spot-kick hit the post to send Arsenal crashing out as Arsene Wenger’s men suffered another failure in their bid to win silverware for the first time since 2005.
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