Some of the great cup runs in footballing history have happened due to their fair share of luck. But Grimsby Town’s run to the fourth round of the EFL Cup is not one of these runs.
In fact, Sky Sports labelling the triumph as a “fairytale” in the title of their YouTube highlights package actually does David Artell and his players a slight disservice.
The Mariners’ success in the competition may be unexpected, but it is entirely deserved. They have played three games in the competition thus far and have been good value for each of their wins.
Round One: Grimsby Town 3-1 Shrewsbury Town
Before they were thrust into the limelight, the Lincolnshire-based side faced Shrewsbury Town in what seemed a fairly run-of-the-mill early-round EFL Cup tie at the time.
The Mariners dominated against the recently relegated side.
Despite making a number of changes and leaving key players like Jaze Kabia, Harvey Rodgers and Kieran Green out of the starting XI, Artell’s side created a whopping 2.8 xG and restricted Shrewsbury to just three shots on target.
They dominated possession, keeping the ball for 56% of the game, and consistently outclassed Michael Appleton’s side in duels. The Mariners won 62 duels, whilst the Shrews won just 56.
An early goal from summer signing Justin Amaluzor allowed them to control the game for much of the first half, with Shrewsbury’s only shot on target coming from a set piece.
The second period became slightly more open, but youngster Cameron Gardner doubled their lead in the 50th minute, before Kabia came off the bench to secure the victory in injury time.
Round Two: Grimsby Town 2-2 Manchester United (Grimsby Town Win On Penalties)
The second round produced one of, if not the, greatest game in EFL Cup history.
Drawn against Premier League giants Manchester United, Artell’s side executed their game plan to perfection and eventually got through to the next round.
They once again left one or two key players on the bench, but could have been four-nil up against the Red Devils were it not for some slightly questionable officiating calls.
Demonstrating their tactical versatility, the Mariners were happy to be without the ball for large periods, trying to create pressure via counterattacks and set pieces.
These two avenues were how Grimsby scored their goals. The first came on the break after Darragh Burns played an excellent cross to Charles Vernam, who beat Andre Onana at his near post. The second after Tyrell Warren bundled in Vernam’s cross following a well-worked short corner.
A late barrage from United saw them level the scores. But Grimsby’s players showed excellent technique and nerves of steel to emerge victorious from an excruciatingly long penalty shootout.
It should also be noted that Ruben Amorim fielded an incredibly strong team, which included the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Šeško.
Against these multi-million pound players, the Mariners won more ground duels and made more than twice as many tackles.
Round Three: Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 Grimsby Town
Following the historic night at Blundell Park, Grimsby were drawn away from home against one of the other major giant killers of the second round, Sheffield Wednesday.
Some may look at the youthful players that Henrik Pedersen has fielded during the competition and argue that the tie was not particularly hard. But this does a disservice to both the Owls’ youngsters, who were good enough to beat Premier League Leeds United, and the Mariners.
In the first half, Artell’s side dominated the ball, and Warren produced an outstanding last-ditch block, which distracted George Brown enough that he was not able to score a certain tap-in.
The second half saw the Mariners once again score from a set piece, this time courtesy of the head of Kabia.
Although they were not as creative as they had been in the previous two rounds, Grimsby were utterly dominant at the back. Wednesday failed to even register a shot on target and created just 0.25 xG throughout the 90 minutes. In fact, four of the five top defensive contributors in the game were Grimsby players.
What Next For The Mariners?
Artell has clearly built an excellent project at Blundell Park over the last couple of years. He has been able to build a squad which is excellent in both boxes and adaptable, which allows him to use his tactical nous and alter his game plans based on the opposition.
Unfortunately, they will have to wait one week until their fourth round opponent is revealed. Their next league game is against Barnet, who have not played during midweek.
Grimsby should hope for another big draw next Wednesday, as it is the least that their performances deserve.
But their medium-term focus should be on securing promotion from League Two after their excellent start to the season. It is important that Artell manages his players’ mentality well, as they cannot afford to think that their season has peaked in September.
