Manchester United now demand a rematch as Grimsby Town is officially caught for fielding an ineligible player against them in the Carabao Cup. Manchester United lost against a fourth-tier English club in the second round of the Carabao Cup in August. The whole world couldn’t believe the result as Grimsby pulled off the biggest shock of the season so far. But recently, Manchester United have filed an official complaint against Grimsby Town and they want to have a rematch. The fourth-tier club has been fined already. But making a rematch is highly unlikely to happen. As a matter of fact, the League 2 club won in the tiebreaker after a 2-2 draw after 90 minutes.
A Quick Recap of Manchester United against Grimsby
Manchester United began their new season with a lot of hope of making a redemption, finally. They even built a squad far better than the past two seasons. But where are the positive results? Manchester United have already dropped 5 points in their first three league matches. But no one actually expected them to exit the EFL Cup in the second round. Manchester United began the match by keeping Andre Onana as the last line of defence. In an ironic way, Andre Onana didn’t disappoint the Manchester United fanbase. Due to his two unforgivable mistakes, Grimsby Town scored 2 easy goals against the Red Devils. But, Manchester United put off a ‘do or die’ fight and the match ended with a stalemate. Both teams failed to seal the victory in the extra minutes and the tie went onto penalty shootout. It was indeed a marathon penalty shootout. Unfortunately, it was Bryan Mbuemo who missed the 26th kick from the spot and immediately the home supporters burst into joy. The stadium erupted and fans began to invade the ground after the full-time. The Grimsby fans gathered around a devastated Mbuemo but captain Bruno Fernandes escorted his teammate to the tunnel. Former Manchester United footballers were speechless; they were numb. Even Ruben Amorim was furious with his players. “I think the team and the players spoke really loud today. That’s it. We lost. The best team won.” – addressed Amorim in the post match interview.
Grimsby Town Might Get Disqualification for Cheating
Grimsby won the tie but at what cost? Manchester United club management has officially lodged a complaint against the club for fielding an ineligible player, Clarke Oduor. The English Football League (EFL) has now fined the club £20,000 as a penalty. While Manchester United repeatedly asked for a rematch, Grimsby instantly admitted their fault. The EFL board also accepted their apology and stated that Grimsby had made that fault unknowingly. In their defence, the Mariners explained that they had submitted the team sheet to the board at the eleventh hour. The organisers also overlooked that mistake. The club also apologised to Manchester United and clearly said that it wasn’t a deliberate mistake from their side. But according to the reports, the English Premier League heavyweights are going to appeal once again. Fielding 12 players for some time or playing an ineligible player in a match aren’t new in this sport circuit. There are past examples of these incidents. Liverpool and Sunderland were also charged with these mistakes. Just like this time, the board just fined and allowed them to progress to the next round. But fortune wasn’t on the Mariners’ side in the next round. Grimsby Town lost the tie against Sheffield Wednesday in the third round of the Carabao Cup.
🚨 | BREAKING:
When facing #mufc in the Carabao Cup, Grimsby Town fielded an ineligible player.
Instead of being thrown out of the competition, they have been fined £20,000. pic.twitter.com/NVm5hcXXbt
— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) September 2, 2025
Author’s Opinion: Manchester United Must Keep Their Moral High
The season isn’t over yet for Manchester United. The Red Devils have tasted their first victory of the season against Burnley after a stoppage-time conversion by Bruno. The boys will face Manchester City in their next match in the EPL next Sunday at the Etihad.
Stay tuned for more news.