Fourth division side Grimsby Town have eliminated Man United from the Carabao Cup.
Grimsby pulled off the historic upset on August 27, 2025, in the Carabao Cup, defeating Manchester United 12-11 in a record-breaking penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw at Blundell Park.
The League Two underdogs capitalized on errors from United’s goalkeeper Andre Onana, with Grimsby’s Jordan Wright making crucial saves to secure the win.
This shocking result advances Grimsby to the third round, while intensifying scrutiny on Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim amid fan backlash and social media frenzy.
Never before had United lost to a team from England’s fourth tier in this competition — they had won their 11 previous ties against teams from that division — but it was the manner of the second-round exit that could put Amorim in peril.
United had trailed 2-0, almost going three down before Cameron Gardner’s second-half goal was ruled out for offside, but a late rally saw them haul themselves back to 2-2 with goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire.
Before a chaotic shootout, marked by misses by strikers Matheus Cunha and Mbeumo, £74 million summer signing Benjamin Sesko shot over from six yards with the last kick of the game. That should have been an omen for what was to come next.
After witnessing his side lose on penalties, Amorim gave a cryptic assessment by saying his players “spoke loud for me.” It didn’t sound like a compliment.
“When you play against a fourth-division team, it’s not the goalkeeper [that costs you the win], it’s everything.” Amorim said. “It’s the environment, it’s the way we face the competition. We know that we are in a moment when people will pay attention to everything.
“It’s going to be massive, every detail, and we show that performance today. So my players spoke for me really loud.”
