Fleetwood Town mock Manchester United

Manchester United’s grip on domestic cup competitions has looked increasingly shaky in recent seasons, and Wednesday night added another uncomfortable chapter.

Michael Carrick’s side raced into a two-goal lead inside ten minutes at Old Trafford, with Shea Lacey and Mason Mount both on target early against Brighton in the Carabao Cup third round.

That fast start unravelled completely, as Brighton fought back through Charalampos Kostoulas, Pascal Gross and Maxim De Cuyper to complete a stunning 3-2 comeback and dump United out of the competition.

The result created an unwanted piece of history for the club, marking the first time in 50 years United have lost a home match after leading by two goals, with the previous occasion coming against Tottenham back in 1976.

United’s cup misery came just hours after a rather more unlikely story unfolded elsewhere in English football.

Fleetwood Town could not resist taking a playful swipe at United after booking their place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup on the very same night.

The League Two side, currently sitting seventh in the fourth tier and unbeaten in their last six league fixtures, advanced with a narrow 1-0 win over Championship side Sheffield United, settled by Rhys Norrington-Davies’ 57th-minute own goal.

That victory secured a historic first-ever fourth-round appearance in the club’s history, earning Fleetwood a home tie against Premier League champions Arsenal.

Fleetwood Town take swipe at Manchester United

Sensing the opportunity, Fleetwood posted on X shortly after United’s own exit was confirmed, “Just a reminder: Town have gone further in this year’s League Cup than Manchester United.”

Matt Lawlor’s side have made a solid start to their own League Two campaign, sitting just outside the play-off places after six games without defeat, including wins over Chesterfield and draws against Grimsby and Oldham.

United’s cup exit adds to a miserable opening to the season under Carrick, following a shock 2-0 defeat to Hull on the opening weekend and last Sunday’s controversial derby loss to Manchester City.

Wednesday’s collapse also means United’s wait for silverware, or even a deep cup run, shows little sign of easing after another season that started with genuine optimism following a busy summer rebuild.

Carrick will now have to regroup quickly, with United’s focus shifting back to the Premier League as they face Fulham over the weekend as they look to bounce back from a night that will do little for confidence at Old Trafford.