Frank Lampard piled more pressure on the shoulders of his former mentor Jose Mourinho this evening as his Derby County side dumped Manchester United out of the EFL Cup in the third round.
United took the lead after just three minutes at Old Trafford, with Juan Mata putting the finishing touch to a flowing team move.
However, it all unravelled for the hosts in the second half as a stunning free kick from Harry Wilson was followed by a straight red card for goalkeeper Sergio Romero after he handled outside his area.
Marouane Fellaini did rescue a penalty shootout for United with a 95th-minute equaliser after Jack Marriott had put Derby on course for victory in normal time, but the visitors completed the famous triumph with an 8-7 win in the shootout as Phil Jones's miss proved costly.
Find out how all of the action unfolded courtesy of Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates below.
This match pits master against student as Jose Mourinho welcomes Frank Lampard, having won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups together at Chelsea. Both have embarked upon new stages in their careers, though, and Lampard will be looking to pull off a major cup upset tonight.
Let's start with a look at the team news...
It is the master versus the student tonight as Derby boss Frank Lampard brings his side to the home of his former mentor Jose Mourinho, with the pair having won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups during their time together at Chelsea.
Both are in new stages of their careers now, and Lampard is looking to full off a major upset tonight.
Let's start with a look at the teams...
Well, we'll start with the home side and as expected there are plenty of changes made by Jose Mourinho - as is the custom in competitions like the EFL Cup nowadays.
To be precise, Mourinho has made nine changes to the side which drew with Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend, as Jesse Lingard and Romelu Lukaku are the only two players to keep their places.
However, it is instead the out-of-form Sanchez who is given the night off, with Anthony Martial coming into the front three alongside those two who have kept their places.
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Ashley Young is given the armband tonight as he returns in place of Shaw, with Diogo Dalot handed his second start for the club on the opposite flank. The 19-year-old was impressive on his debut against Young Boys last week, and has another chance to show what he can do here.
Beside him are Juan Mata - who has become something of a forgotten man at United in recent months - and Ander Herrera, who has overcome an ankle problem to feature from the start tonight.
These cup competitions are usually seen as important chances to rest some key players, but Lampard clearly wants to make a statement here and believes that it is worth having a go with a full-strength XI.
Captain Curtis Davies is also sidelined alongside George Evans and Marcus Olsson, which means that Richard Keogh will once again wear the armband alongside Tomori at the heart of the defence.
One of the chief candidates to produce that will be 19-year-old Mason Mount, who has been hugely impressive so far this season. The Chelsea loanee has already scored five goals and registered one assist in 11 outings this term, building on the 23 goals he had a hand in at Heerenveen last season.
That attacking trident were all in fine form during the 3-1 win over Brentford at the weekend, and Wilson and Mount in particular will relish the chance to make a name for themselves at Old Trafford tonight.
This game carries a fairly substantial degree of significance for United too, though, after they drew 1-1 at home to Wolves on Saturday, when Joao Moutinho cancelled out Fred's opener. It has been an underwhelming start to the season for the Red Devils, and an early exit from this cup competition would only heap more pressure on them.
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Indeed, Mourinho's men - who were hopeful of launching a title challenge this term - already find themselves eight points adrift of leaders Liverpool, which is a fairly substantial gap to make up even with 32 games of the season still to play.
On a brighter note, Mourinho's side are now unbeaten in four outings since their back-to-back defeats at the hands of Brighton and Tottenham last month, and should they win tonight then it would be five games without losing for the first time since March.
Since scraping past Leicester on the opening day of the season United have since been thrashed 3-0 here by Spurs and held by Wolves, meaning that they could tonight go three successive home games without a win for the first time since December 2015 and the first time ever under Mourinho.
Incidentally, that 2007 loss to the Sky Blues is the only League Cup third round match United have lost in their last 15 such outings.
#CarabaoCup, we ready! 💪 #MUFC pic.twitter.com/xIRmPClFKP
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 25, 2018
Interestingly, though, three of those four teams have been from outside the top flight - York City in September 1995, Coventry in September 2007 and Crystal Palace in November 2011. Can Derby join that exclusive list tonight?
Mourinho did see his Chelsea side eliminated on penalties by Charlton in one of those games - a match in which Frank Lampard featured, incidentally - but he has lifted the trophy four times during his career, including once already with United.
By contrast, Lampard is still in the very embryonic stages of his managerial career, although he has made a promising start to life in the dugout so far.
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Of course, it is still too soon to draw any conclusions from the Championship standings, but Derby will be pretty content to find themselves only two points off leaders Leeds and Middlesbrough.
Lampard's side showed a few signs during their 3-1 win over Brentford that they are capable of doing that too, coming from behind to run out 3-1 winners, with all of the goals coming inside the opening half an hour.
Derby have not lost back-to-back away games since April, but they will be favourites to succumb to that fate against the more illustrious opposition of United tonight.
The Rams have scored six goals without reply in the previous two rounds this season too, beating Oldham 2-0 in the first round before thrashing Championship rivals Hull City 4-0 at the KCOM Stadium in the last stage.
On that occasion, the Rams made it all the way to the quarter-finals, where their run was ended by a Chelsea side managed by Jose Mourinho.
That result saw Derby progress through to the semis for only the second time in their history, matching their best-ever showing in this competition from 1967-68. However, their run was ended in the last four by none other than Manchester United.
This should be a very intriguing match, with Derby arriving at Old Trafford full of confidence and with an unchanged side. However, United still must be regarded as favourites and we're backing them to progress tonight.
SPORTS MOLE SAYS: Manchester United 2-1 Derby
United also came out on top in their other League Cup tie, having been drawn against each other in the quarter-final of the 1969-70 campaign.
Derby visited Old Trafford in the third round of the FA Cup in January, where Lingard and Lukaku - the only two players to keep their place in the side tonight - scored late goals in a 2-0 win.
The Rams' last victory of any kind over United was in that League Cup semi-final more than nine years ago, with Kris Commons getting the only goal on that occasion.
.@Fred08Oficial ➡️⚽️⬅️ @Fellaini#MUFC #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/PSvuZoH398
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 25, 2018
MAN UTD STARTING XI: Romero; Dalot, Bailly, Jones, Young; Mata, Matic, Herrera; Lingard, Lukaku, Martial
DERBY STARTING XI: Carson; Bogle, Keogh, Tomori, Forsyth; Bryson, Johnson; Bennett, Mount, Wilson; Nugent
Martial is again involved as he bursts down the left flank before playing the ball towards the edge of the box, where Lukaku is waiting. The Belgian dummies it beautifully for Lingard, who in turn helps it on to Mata. The Spaniard still has work to do, but he duly obliges by curling his finish into the bottom corner.
Splendid, sweeping goal from the hosts.
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Jones and Young both cannot get to it and Mason Bennett collects it at the back post, only to be thwarted by a huge stop from Romero. Almost a perfect response from Derby.
Tomori tracks back really well, though, and puts the Belgian under just enough pressure to force him to fire wide of the target.
276 - Juan Mata has scored his first Manchester United goal since netting twice at the King Power Stadium in the Premier League back in December 2017, 276 days ago. Relief. pic.twitter.com/aPcLV6fbh9
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 25, 2018
Despite trailing, though, Derby can be pretty pleased with their performance in this match so far. They have seen plenty of the ball inside the United half and are very much in this game.
Martial burst down the left flank before playing the ball back to the edge of the area, where Lukaku dummied it for Lingard, who in turn laid it into the path of Mata. The Spaniard took the shot on first time, curling his finish into the bottom corner.
Lukaku has missed two or three clear chances, including a glancing header before the opener and a one-on-one which he fired wide of the target, while Mata has also squandered another decent chance.
Mason Mount's pass into the box found Bennett at the back post, but he saw his effort thwarted by Romero with Wilson going ignored in the middle when he would have been left with a simple tap-in.
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It looks like the free kick is far too far out, but Wilson tries his luck from all of 35 yards and sends it roaring into the top corner, with Romero rooted to the spot. There was so much dip and movement on that ball.
Incredible, and you will do well to see a better free kick goal this season!
Wilson is again instrumental as he races on to a long pass forward, and he gets to the ball just before Romero, who can hardly avoid it striking his arm. United will have to see this game out with just 10 men!
The hosts keep the pressure up and the ball soon arrives at the feet of Martial, who curls an effort of his own narrowly wide from the edge of the box.
1 - Harry Wilson is the first player to score a direct free-kick against Manchester United in the League Cup at Old Trafford since Giles Barnes back in January 2009, also for Derby County. Unstoppable.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 25, 2018
📽 A sensational finish from Harry Wilson to level things up!
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) September 25, 2018
Man Utd vs Derby is live on Sky Sports Main Event or follow here: https://t.co/F7S9gdjfL0
Follow all the Carabao Cup action here: https://t.co/3e9uA6oyYi https://t.co/gkc9V5A8dj
Wilson dummies a low cross from the left for Marriott, who sees his initial effort blocked. The ball falls to Mount on the edge of the box and his first-time low effort is really well saved by Grant. However, the ball pops back up and Marriott is following in to nod it over the line, despite the best efforts of Grant once again.
A quick VAR review is required, with Wilson offside, but he was not interfering and so the goal stands!
It is the typical 'Plan B' as a cross is hoisted up to the back post, where Fellaini is waiting to nod home from close range.
It looks like penalties at Old Trafford after all!
It is no more than Derby deserve either after a really impressive display here at Old Trafford. Mata gave the hosts the lead after only three minutes, but a stunner from Wilson levelled things up before Romero was sent off for United.
A late Marriott goal was trumped by an even later Fellaini one to force penalties, but Phil Jones's miss proves costly as Derby pick up a famous victory!
Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's match as Frank Lampard beats his former mentor Jose Mourinho on penalties to see Derby dump Manchester United out of the competition!
I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction and more EFL Cup action tomorrow.
From me, though, it is goodbye for now!