Grimsby Stun Manchester United and Knock Them Out of the Carabao Cup

Manchester United suffered a humiliating exit from the second round of the Carabao Cup, losing to fourth-division side Grimsby on penalties 12-11 after the match ended 2-2 in regular time.

Grimsby went two goals up within just 15 minutes through Charles Vernam and Tyrell Warren. But the Red Devils managed to fight back, pulling one back through new Cameroonian signing Bryan Mbeumo (75’), before defender Harry Maguire grabbed a late equalizer (89’).

However, Mbeumo himself missed a decisive penalty in the shootout, condemning United to yet another setback at the start of the season and piling further pressure on Portuguese manager Rúben Amorim. United have yet to secure a single Premier League win after two rounds, following a disappointing 1-1 draw away to Fulham last Sunday, which came after their opening defeat to Arsenal.

Amorim expressed his deep frustration after being knocked out of the competition, saying post-match: “In the end, it doesn’t matter whether we regained our balance or not, it’s about the signals the team showed during the match, especially at the start.”

He added: “I believe the better team won—the only team that was truly on the pitch. Even the best players can lose when one team is superior to a group of stars. I think the players spoke loudly tonight, that’s all there is. We lost, and the better team won.”

Clarifying what he meant, the Portuguese coach continued: “I think what happened was very clear to everyone, so we have to move forward. I believe anyone who watched the match understood exactly what went on.”

He went on: “The way we entered the match without intensity or pressing left us completely lost, and that’s why the players spoke loudly about what happened.”

When asked if his team was repeating last season’s mistakes, he replied: “I think that’s the problem. When you lose and see something new, it’s different. But to see something like what happened today makes it hard. I just want to extend a big apology to the fans. The support they’ve given me and the team—I have nothing else to say but that I’m very sorry.”

As for how to fix these issues, he said: “We have a match at the weekend, then two weeks after that. During this period, we’ll work on solving things.”

Regarding the goalkeeping controversy in recent weeks, particularly after Cameroonian André Onana’s poor performance against Grimsby, Amorim commented: “With all due respect, when you lose to a fourth-division team, the problem isn’t the goalkeeper.”

He added: “It’s everything: the atmosphere, the way we approached the competition. We know we’re in a moment where people will analyze every detail. Everything will be magnified.”

In other matches, Everton advanced after defeating third-tier Mansfield Town 2-0, while Fulham also progressed with a 2-0 victory over Championship side Bristol City.

Brighton likewise booked their place in the next round with a commanding 6-0 win over second-tier Oxford United.