Ruben Amorim Under Pressure as Man United Suffer Historic EFL Cup Exit to Grimsby Town
Story: written by Okafor Joseph Agust 28,2025
Manchester United’s turbulent start to the 2025/26 season took another dramatic twist on Wednesday night as they suffered a shock EFL Cup second-round exit to League Two side Grimsby Town, marking a humiliating first in the club’s history.
At Blundell Park, United endured a nightmare first half, conceding twice against David Artell’s Mariners. Though Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire pulled the Red Devils level to force a penalty shootout, United eventually crashed out 12-11 on penalties in one of the longest shootouts in the competition’s history.
The defeat means United have been knocked out by a fourth-tier side in the EFL Cup for the first time ever, while also suffering their earliest exit since the 2014/15 season, when they lost 4-0 to MK Dons.
The result heaps more pressure on manager Ruben Amorim, who is still searching for his first win of the campaign after United picked up only one point from their opening two Premier League fixtures.
To compound the misery, United’s elimination came before heavyweights like Liverpool and Manchester City had even entered the tournament, leaving their rivals with easier paths to potential silverware.
For Grimsby, it was a historic night as jubilant fans stormed the pitch after their team extended an impressive unbeaten run over United to four consecutive matches. Remarkably, the Red Devils have not beaten Grimsby since August 1946, when they edged a 2-1 win in a top-flight encounter.
Amorim must now regroup his deflated squad ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Burnley at Old Trafford, a must-win game before daunting fixtures against Manchester City and Chelsea loom after the international break.
