Liputan6.com, Jakarta English League Two football team Grimsby Town pulled off a shock upset by eliminating Premier League giants Manchester United from the Carabao Cup.
The dramatic match, played on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at Grimsby's home ground, Blundell Park, ended in a 2-2 draw before the Mariners won a thrilling penalty shootout 12-11.
This result marked one of the most shocking defeats in Manchester United's domestic cup history.
The Red Devils, who compete in the Premier League, were defeated by Grimsby Town, a League Two club, after a tightly contested match that went to extra time and a penalty shootout.
This defeat adds to the pressure on Manchester United, who are winless in the 2025-2026 Premier League season, with two losses and one draw.
This poor Carabao Cup result further exacerbates a difficult start to the season for Ruben Amorim's squad.
Early Surprise from the Fourth-tier Team
From the start of the match, Manchester United dominated possession and makes numerous shots at Grimsby Town's goal.
However, Grimsby Town took the lead in the 22nd minute through Charles Vernam, capitalizing on a perfect pass from Darragh Burns.
The surprise continued when Grimsby doubled their lead to 2-0 in the 30th minute.
The second goal was scored by Tyrell Warren, who converted a pass from Charles Vernam, using on an error by Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana.
The 2-0 score held until halftime, putting immense pressure on the visitors.
Manchester United managed to draw the score
Entering the second half, the Manchester United manager made several substitutions to change the course of the match.
Several big names such as Bryan Mbeumo, Bruno Fernandes, and Matthijs de Ligt were included to increase the team's attacking power and creativity.
These substitutions paid off in the 75th minute.
Bryan Mbeumo managed to reduce the deficit after capitalizing on a pass from Kobbie Mainoo, making the score 1-2.
That enthusiasm finally paid off in the 89th minute, when Harry Maguire successfully equalized the score at 2-2 with a precise header from Mason Mount's corner kick.
This late goal ensured the match would go to a penalty shootout after the score remained 2-2 at the end of normal time.
Penalty Shootout and New History
The penalty shootout decided the fate of both teams in the EFL Cup.
The shootout was a dramatic affair, with a total of 26 penalty kicks.
Grimsby Town displayed remarkable composure, with all 12 penalty takers scoring perfectly, including the decisive goal that secured the victory.
Meanwhile, Manchester United suffered defeat after two penalty takers missed.
Bryan Mbeumo, who had earlier scored the equalizer, missed the decisive penalty for Manchester United, his shot hitting the crossbar.
Furthermore, Grimsby goalkeeper Christy Pym also made a crucial save to deny Matheus Cunha.
This defeat has been described as one of the biggest shocks in football history and a "historic" defeat for Manchester United.
This was the first time Manchester United had been defeated by a fourth-tier team in their 65-year history of participation in the EFL Cup.
Ruben Amorim: "I think something has to change."
After the historical defeat against the fouth tier league team, Manchester United manager, Ruben Amorim said: "I think this is a little bit the limit. I think something has to change."
"I think the team and the players spoke really loud today, so that's it. [Tonight] I think the best team won, the only team that was on the pitch."
"In this moment, we need to focus on the weekend and then we have time to think."
Manchester United, the 20-time English champions, finished 15th last season, their worst league campaign since being relegated in 1974.
Amorim made eight changes from the team that drew 1-1 at Fulham on Sunday, but he still fielded a lineup full of international players worth hundreds of millions of pounds.