Manchester United came from behind to earn a late 2-2 draw against Grimsby Town, eventually suffering a second-round Carabao Cup exit via a prolonged penalty shoot-out.
Charles Vernam gave the League Two side a deserved lead after 22 minutes, beating a questionable Andre Onana at his near post to the delight of the majority in Cleethorpes.
Tyrell Warren scored the Mariners’ second moments later, albeit fortunate to have profited from a lack of VAR on the evening. Onana failed to claim a routine cross, allowing an open net for the simplest of finishes.
United received a lifeline when Bryan Mbeumo reduced the deficit with a sublime finish late on, before Harry Maguire completed the comeback in the final minute of regulation.
However, despite earning a Matheus Cunha spotkick to claim progress with the 10th effort of the shootout, an ecstatic Grimsby claimed a famous scalp on a wet Wednesday evening.
Having failed to collect a victory in either of his Premier League outings this season, Ruben Amorim will undoubtedly face the wrath of a disgruntled fanbase ahead of Saturday’s visit of Burnley.
Another forgettable outing for Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United
On an evening where Kobbie Mainoo dictated the majority of the pre-match conversation, the 20-year-old was installed in the starting XI as one of eight changes from the weekend draw with Fulham.
Expectedly, a partisan crowd was keen to make their mark; in response, their side burst out of the blocks in an attempt to unsettle their guests.
Truthfully, David Artell couldn’t have asked for much more throughout the opening 20 minutes.
Their forward-thinking approach and physicality were duly rewarded through a fine counter-attacking move, with Blundell Park erupting when Vernam powered an effort past the returning Onana.
Cries of “Sacked in the morning” reverberated around the 126-year-old stadium.
Things went from bad to the unthinkable on the half-hour mark, following the Cameroon shotstoppers’ second blunder inside the area, inevitably leaving Warren with the simplest of finishes to double Grimsby’s lead.
United attempted to generate momentum and gather a marginal foothold in the tie, with Benjamin Sesko coming closest with a fine-headed effort that called for the best from Christy Pym.
Mbeumo, Bruno Fernandes and Matthijs de Ligt were introduced for the restart amidst thunder and lightning, with Manuel Ugarte, Patrick Dorgu, and Tyler Fredricson withdrawn.
As the rain began to pour, a torrid evening nearly got worse within five minutes as a swift counterattack resulted in the narrowest of defensive clearances from what may have been the upper arm of Ayden Heaven.
Cameron Gardner had the ball in the net shortly afterwards with a neat finish inside the area. However, it was correctly ruled out for an offside in the buildup.
Inevitably, Town began to tire heading towards the hour, with Bruno increasingly prominent in possession before testing Pym with a rasping effort from distance.
Ruben opted to act on his side’s dominance, introducing Mason Mount to replace Heaven for the final 25 minutes, solidifying a multi-million-pound attack in an attempt to salvage something from the evening.
Mbeumo answered his call as the tie entered the final quarter with a superbly taken effort from outside the area, earning his first goal for the club to provide a shot of adrenaline to a deserving travelling contingent.
With rain reducing the conditions to an almost unplayable state, Joshua Zirkzee entered for his first appearance of the season, with an out-of-sorts Amad continuing to struggle to reclaim his sparkling form.
United poured forward as their League Two opponents retreated to protect a memorable evening for a vocal audience. Fortunately, the familiar figure of Maguire broke home hearts with a minute remaining, powering home a Cunha corner.
The Reds continued to press for a late winner and thought they had it with seconds to play when the ball fell to Sesko in the six-yard box. Unfortunately, the Slovenian had a fraction to manufacture an effort that sailed over the bar.
After 90 minutes of the most remarkable of evenings, penalties would provide a winner.
Following 25 different attempts, with 23 scored, including a brace from the goalkeepers, Mbeumo sent his second effort against the crossbar to seal a forgettable result for the 20-time champions of England.
It’s difficult to comprehend how this Manchester United side could look so average for so much of the tie, given the abundance of quality on the field.
Regardless, we have witnessed another questionable showing from a side struggling with Amorim’s strict philosophy.
With Premier League football returning in three days, it remains unclear what sort of response we will see.
How do you feel following this latest setback? Let us know in the comments or across our social channels.
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