Manchester United were dumped out of the Carabao Cup after Grimsby stunned the giants in an epic 12-11 shootout

Manchester United crashed out of the Carabao Cup in humiliating fashion after a dramatic penalty shootout defeat to League Two side Grimsby Town. The underdogs stunned Ruben Amorim’s side 12-11 on spot-kicks after holding the 20-time English champions to a 2-2 draw at Blundell Park.

It was a night that will be remembered as one of United’s darkest cup exits — and one of Grimsby’s greatest triumphs.

The Mariners stormed into a two-goal lead by half-time, leaving United staring at an unthinkable disaster. Charles Vernam opened the scoring after capitalising on a defensive mix-up, drilling past André Onana at the near post — a moment the goalkeeper will want to forget. Tyrell Warren doubled the lead moments later, rolling the ball home against his former club after Onana flapped at a corner and failed to clear.

United’s supporters, huddled in the rain-soaked away end, watched in disbelief as chants of “Premier League, you’re having a laugh” rang around Blundell Park. Grimsby fans revelled in every error, taunting the giants with chants of “Can we play you every week?”

Amorim, already under pressure after a poor start to the season, reacted at half-time by throwing on heavyweights Bruno Fernandes, Bryan Mbeumo and Matthijs De Ligt. The changes did inject some urgency. With 15 minutes to go, Mbeumo struck to halve the deficit, giving United a glimmer of hope. Then Harry Maguire — one of the few bright spots on a bleak night — powered in a near-post header to level the game at 2-2 and drag the tie to penalties.

What followed was a shootout of chaos, tension and, ultimately, humiliation. Both teams converted penalty after penalty as the drama stretched into sudden death. At 11-11, Mbeumo stepped up again but rattled the crossbar, leaving Christy Pym a local hero and sending Grimsby’s supporters into delirium. Fans flooded the pitch as the Mariners celebrated an immortal victory.

For Amorim, the defeat was catastrophic. United’s £200m summer spend has yet to translate into results, and the team remains winless after three games of the new campaign. The coach was left standing on the touchline, serenaded with chants of “You’re getting sacked in the morning” by jubilant home fans.

The performance raised grim questions. United lacked flair, organisation and any sense of identity. Onana endured another nightmare between the posts, while big-money signings Sesko and Ugarte failed to impose themselves. Only Maguire, a figure often criticised, showed fight when it mattered.

Former United defender and pundit Gary Neville did not mince his words on Sky Sports:

“This is beyond embarrassing. Grimsby have outplayed them, out-fought them and out-thought them. United are in a mess, and Amorim has huge questions to answer.”

For Grimsby, however, it was a night of pure ecstasy. Manager Dave Artell’s side pressed with relentless energy, harried United into mistakes and showed no fear. Vernam in particular tormented United’s back line, his goal and all-action display inspiring belief across the ground.

As rain lashed down, the Mariners carved out chances even after United’s late rally, proving the win was no fluke. “Oh, when the Town goes steaming in,” sang fans as their side etched itself into cup folklore.

United now face Burnley at Old Trafford on Saturday, with Amorim’s future under intense scrutiny. Grimsby, meanwhile, advances to the next round dreaming of more giant-killing glory.

For one night, Blundell Park was the centre of the footballing world — and Manchester United were reduced to the role of hapless victims.