If you’re searching for the Grimsby Town vs Manchester United lineups, you’re almost certainly looking back at the Carabao Cup second round tie on 27 August 2025, when the League Two side knocked Manchester United out on penalties. Grimsby won the shootout 12-11 after a 2-2 draw at Blundell Park, and it remains the first time in Manchester United’s history that a fourth-tier team eliminated them from a cup competition. This piece sets out both full starting lineups, how the match unfolded, and what the result meant for both clubs.

The Full Lineups for Grimsby Town vs Manchester United

Grimsby manager David Artell made two changes from the side that had drawn 1-1 with Cambridge United in League Two three days earlier, while Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim made eight changes from the team that had drawn 1-1 with Fulham in the Premier League that same weekend.

Grimsby Town’s Starting XI

Grimsby lined up in a 4-1-4-1 formation built around a settled back four and pace on the counter-attack.

Tyrell Warren, who scored Grimsby’s second goal, came through Manchester United’s own academy before leaving the club, which added a personal edge to his role in the win.

Manchester United’s Starting XI

United set up in a 3-4-2-1 shape, with more than £400 million worth of transfer fees on the pitch despite the wholesale changes from their Premier League side.

Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia were unavailable for United through injury, while Grimsby had a fully fit squad to choose from. Bryan Mbeumo, Mason Mount and Joshua Zirkzee started the match on the bench and were introduced as second-half substitutes.

[Table: side-by-side comparison of both starting XIs with substitute options for each team]

How the Match Unfolded

Grimsby’s approach from kickoff set the tone for the entire tie, pressing high against a United side that struggled to settle.

Grimsby’s Fast Start

Charles Vernam put Grimsby ahead inside the first 30 minutes, converting after a cross from the left, and Tyrell Warren doubled the lead shortly afterwards, capitalising on a goalkeeping error from André Onana. Grimsby led 2-0 at half-time against a Manchester United side assembled at a cost many multiples of their own.

Manchester United’s Late Fightback

United pulled a goal back through substitute Bryan Mbeumo with around 15 minutes remaining, and Harry Maguire forced extra time into the shootout with an 89th-minute equaliser from a corner. The comeback took the tie to penalties with the scoreline locked at 2-2 after 90 minutes, since early rounds of the Carabao Cup skip extra time entirely.

The Penalty Shootout Result

What followed was one of the longest shootouts in English cup football in recent memory. Grimsby’s Clarke Oduor and United’s Matheus Cunha were the only players to miss during the first 11 rounds, leaving the score locked at 10-10 once every outfield player and both goalkeepers had taken a kick.

Under the rules, both sides then went through their order again. Darragh Burns scored Grimsby’s second penalty to make it 12-11, and Bryan Mbeumo’s second attempt for United struck the crossbar, sealing the win for Grimsby and sending Blundell Park’s sold-out 8,647 crowd onto the pitch in celebration.

Why This Result Matters in Manchester United’s History

Manchester United had never previously been eliminated from a cup competition by a team from England’s fourth tier. The club’s only prior losses to lower-league opposition in a major cup came against non-league sides when English football operated with just two professional divisions, most recently against Swindon Town in the FA Cup in 1914.

The defeat also marked United’s earliest Carabao Cup exit in 11 years, since their previous elimination at this early stage of the competition in 2014. For Grimsby, then fourth in League Two, it stood as arguably their biggest single result in around 75 years.

What Happened to the Key Players Afterwards

The result had a direct effect on Manchester United’s transfer business that summer. André Onana, whose errors contributed to both of Grimsby’s goals, was loaned out to Turkish club Trabzonspor before the transfer window closed, and United signed goalkeeper Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp as his replacement.

For Grimsby, the win brought national attention to a squad built largely around academy graduates and free transfers, with midfielder Kieran Green among those who spoke publicly about the pressure United carried into the shootout given the gap in resources between the two clubs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What was the final score in Grimsby Town vs Manchester United? The match finished 2-2 after 90 minutes, with Grimsby winning the resulting penalty shootout 12-11. Early rounds of the Carabao Cup go straight to penalties from a draw rather than playing extra time.

Q: Who scored for Grimsby Town against Manchester United? Charles Vernam and Tyrell Warren scored Grimsby’s goals in normal time, both coming inside the first 30 minutes to give Grimsby a 2-0 half-time lead. Warren previously came through Manchester United’s own academy.

Q: Who scored for Manchester United against Grimsby Town? Bryan Mbeumo pulled a goal back with around 15 minutes left, and Harry Maguire equalised in the 89th minute to force the match to penalties. Both goals came after United trailed 2-0 at half-time.

Q: How many penalties were taken in the Grimsby vs Man Utd shootout? Twenty-six penalties were taken in total across 13 rounds for each side, making it one of the longest shootouts in recent English cup football. The score reached 10-10 after the first 11 rounds before both teams went through their order again.

Q: Was this the first time Manchester United lost to a fourth-tier team? Yes, in a competitive cup fixture. United had only previously lost to lower-tier opposition when facing non-league sides under England’s old two-division football pyramid, most recently against Swindon Town in the 1914 FA Cup.

Q: Who was Grimsby Town’s manager for the Manchester United match? David Artell managed Grimsby Town for the tie, making two changes to the side that had drawn with Cambridge United in League Two three days earlier.

Q: What competition was the Grimsby vs Manchester United match played in? The match was the second round of the 2025 to 2026 Carabao Cup, English football’s League Cup competition, played at Grimsby’s Blundell Park on 27 August 2025.