Mayhem in the EFL Cup, or League Cup (or as it is known now, Carabao Cup). One of the few competitions that brought some joy to Manchester United fans recently (they were victors in 2023 and 2017) has now provided one of the biggest humiliations ever: they have been defeated by Grimsby Town, a club in League Two (the fourth division of English football).
The second round of the EFL Cup should be a formality for a first division club like Manchester United, even if they are in our of their worst moments ever. Last season was atrocious, with the saving grace of reaching Europa League final... but losing it to Tottenham Hotspur, wasting their only chance of playing in Europe. And now, the Red Devils say goodbye to another competition... still in August.
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Grimsby Town stunned Manchester United with two goals in the first half. But Ruben Amorim's side fought back, naturally owning 71% of ball possession, and Bryan Mbuemo first and Harry Maguire later at the 89th minute tied the match. It was followed by a penalty shootout ending 12-11 for this humble club in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire. Mbuemo shot two penalties... but missed the second and final one. Matheus Cunha also missed one penalty.
"What an embarrassment for Manchester United. Where does Ruben Amorim go from here?", asks Chris Sutton, former Premier League striker on BBC. Despite Manchester United naturally owning every stat, the BBC pundit thinks that "in many respects they deserved it for the way that they played inside the 90 minutes".
Really, really tough night for Manchester United fans.