Manchester United suffered one of the most humiliating defeats in their storied history on Wednesday, crashing out of the Carabao Cup to fourth-tier Grimsby Town. The Premier League giants lost a marathon 12-11 penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw at Blundell Park, a result that piles immense pressure on their under-fire manager, Ruben Amorim.
Despite fielding a multi-million-pound team of international stars, including a first start for £74m striker Benjamin Sesko, United were comprehensively outplayed for long periods. Grimsby, playing against United for the first time since 1948, fully deserved their 2-0 halftime lead. Charles Vernam fired past a questionable Andre Onana at his near post, before Tyrell Warren tapped in a second after the United keeper failed to deal with a corner.
Facing a catastrophic defeat, Amorim brought on substitutes Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo for a second-half rescue mission. For a long time, it looked futile, but Mbeumo finally gave United a lifeline with a fine curled finish with just 15 minutes remaining. Then, in the 89th minute, defender Harry Maguire, pushed forward as a makeshift striker, headed in an equaliser to send the tie to a penalty shootout.
The drama intensified in the shootout. Matheus Cunha had a chance to win it for United at 4-4 but saw his penalty saved. The shootout then continued deep into the night, with 15 more consecutive spot-kicks successfully converted, including one from each goalkeeper. The marathon finally ended when Bryan Mbeumo, United's earlier hero, tragically struck the crossbar with his second penalty, sealing the famous victory for Grimsby.
After the match, manager Ruben Amorim delivered a furious and scathing assessment of his team's performance, offering no excuses. "I think the best team won, the only team that was on the pitch," he said. "The way we start the game without any intensity... We were completely lost." The shocking result marks a new low in what has already been a difficult start to the season for the struggling Premier League giants.