Manchester United’s season under Ruben Amorim hit a devastating low on Tuesday night as League Two side Grimsby Town dumped them out of the Carabao Cup in a dramatic penalty shootout.
The tie finished 2-2 in normal time, with United clawing back from 2-0 down thanks to goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire. But in the decisive shootout, United faltered, with Mbeumo missing the 26th penalty to seal Grimsby’s passage into the next round.
It was a night to forget for Andre Onana, making his first appearance of the season. The goalkeeper was directly at fault for both Grimsby goals – first letting Charles Vernan’s strike squirm through him at the near post, before failing to deal with a cross that gifted Tyrell Warren a simple finish.
United thought they had been spared further embarrassment when Cameron Gardner’s third was controversially ruled offside, but their lack of intensity and composure throughout told its own story. Amorim admitted post-match that “the best team won” and issued an apology to supporters.
For Grimsby, this was a historic night. Manager David Artell hailed his side’s spirit, insisting they deserved to win in 90 minutes: “It was a terrific night for the club and the whole community… the lads were terrific.”
The result leaves Amorim under mounting pressure, with United already out of Europe and their domestic hopes now hanging by a thread.