Fourth-Tier Grimsby Town Sends Shockwaves: Manchester United Eliminated from Carabao Cup in Penalty Thriller
Manchester United suffered a historic and humiliating exit from the Carabao Cup at the hands of League Two outfit Grimsby Town in a gripping second-round clash on 27 August 2025. The tie ended 2–2 after regulation before the Mariners sealed a 12–11 penalty shootout victory to stun one of England’s biggest clubs.(The Times, TalkSport, ESPN.com, Al Jazeera)
Early Lead for Grimsby
Grimsby stunned the visitors early on. Charles Vernam opened the scoring in the 22nd minute with a composed strike past André Onana—whose miscontrol foreshadowed the chaos to come. Tyrell Warren doubled the lead just eight minutes later when he tapped in after Onana fumbled a cross.(The Times, ESPN.com, TalkSport, SI)
United’s Late Revival
Despite trailing, Manchester United clawed back in the second half. Bryan Mbeumo, one of United’s summer signings, curled in his first goal for the club in the 75th minute. Then, in the final moments of regular time, Harry Maguire rose to head United level at 2–2.(TalkSport, ESPN.com, SI, TNT Sports)
Penalty Marathon and Final Defeat
The match pushed into one of the longest shootouts in recent memory. Both teams traded successful spot-kicks before advancing into sudden death. After 26 penalties, Mbeumo—who had become the unlikely hero earlier—blazed his second attempt onto the bar, handing Grimsby a fairytale win.(The Times, TalkSport, ESPN.com, SI, TNT Sports)
Responses from Both Sides
United’s manager, Ruben Amorim, offered sincere apologies to the fans and delivered an unflinching self-assessment. “We were completely lost,” he admitted, calling the performance “unacceptable” and raising concerns about his squad’s mindset.(The Times, TalkSport)
Meanwhile, Grimsby manager David Artell hailed the win as the culmination of 15 to 18 months of hard work, praising his team’s composure in front of a raucous home crowd.(The Times, TalkSport)
A Historic Upset
This marks the first time Manchester United have ever been eliminated from a major cup competition by a fourth-tier team and is widely regarded as one of the club’s most embarrassing results in recent memory.(TalkSport, ESPN.com, Al Jazeera)
Grimsby now proceed to face Championship side Sheffield Wednesday in the third round, riding high after a night that will be remembered for years to come.(The Times, TalkSport, TNT Sports)
