Good evening! Thank you very much for joining
Sports Mole for tonight's
EFL Cup third round clash between
Manchester United and
Derby County at Old Trafford!
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...
Good evening! Thank you very much for joining
Sports Mole for tonight's EFL Cup third round clash between Manchester United and Derby County at Old Trafford!
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...
MAN UTD STARTING XI: Romero; Dalot, Bailly, Jones, Young; Mata, Matic, Herrera; Lingard, Lukaku, Martial
MAN UTD SUBS: Grant, Darmian, Smalling, Fellaini, Fred, McTominay, Sanchez
DERBY STARTING XI: Carson; Bogle, Keogh, Tomori, Forsyth; Bryson, Johnson; Bennett, Mount, Wilson; Nugent
DERBY SUBS: Roos, Wisdom, Waghorn, Jozefzoon, Marriott. Huddlestone, Malone
What can we make of those two teams, then?
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.
Lukaku's inclusion is something of a surprise considering he has been one of United's most important players so far this season and was thought to be a prime candidate to be rested this evening, particularly considering Mourinho has other players available to play through the middle.
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.
© Reuters
One notable exclusion from the matchday squad is a certain Paul Pogba, who has reportedly been told by Mourinho that he will not captain the side again following a string of eyebrow-raising post-match comments this season.
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.
The likes of Romero, Bailly and Jones also return in the defensive third, while Nemanja Matic plays as the holding midfielder having served his one-match ban against Wolves at the weekend.
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.
While Mourinho has rung the changes, his opposite number Frank Lampard interestingly sticks with exactly the same starting lineup that faced Brentford at the weekend.
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.
Lampard is still without a handful of players - including Tom Lawrence, who serves the final game of his three-match ban this evening and would probably be in Derby's first-choice lineup if everyone was fit and firing.
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.
Despite naming an unchanged side, Derby will still be underdogs for this match and it will take a standout performance from one or more of their players to pull off an upset.
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.
Harry Wilson - on loan from Liverpool - provides a further mix of youth and quality from a Premier League background, while in front of them is the vastly experienced David Nugent leading the line.
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.
Tonight poses an interesting test for Manchester United, then, with Derby clearly coming into the game with the intention of winning, rather than hoping that there is an outside chance they might do so.
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.
© Reuters
United have picked up 10 points from their opening six games of the Premier League season, a tally which leaves them seventh in the table and already trailing all other members of the so-called 'big six'.
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.
The Red Devils are also the lowest scorers in the top nine and have conceded the joint-most goals in the top seven, so there are no shortage of areas in which they need to improve if they are to even match last season's performance.
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.
United's home form will be a concern for Mourinho, though, with his side having won one, drawn one and lost one at Old Trafford so far this season - far from the fortress it needs to be if they are to become a force in English football once again.
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.
United have, however, won their last four home EFL Cup games and are unbeaten here in this competition inside 90 minutes since September 2007 - a run of 20 games which stretches back to their infamous 2-0 defeat at the hands of Coventry.
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.
It was Championship opposition that knocked United out of this competition last season when Bristol City pulled off a famous 2-1 victory at Ashton Gate in the quarter-finals, but only four teams have beaten the Red Devils at home in this competition during the Premier League era.
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?
Derby must also contend with Mourinho's own record in this competition, though, and the Portuguese boss has never lose a home match in the League Cup, winning nine of his 11 previous such outings.
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.
Lampard and Derby are not only coming up against a club with a huge history in the competition having won it five times, then, but they are also coming up against a manager who still knows how to get the job done in the EFL Cup.
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.
© Reuters
The Rams have won seven of their 11 games under Lampard so far, including five of nine in the Championship to leave themselves in the playoff places at this early stage of the season.
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.
The playoffs will be the number one target for Derby this season - with one eye on a potential push for automatic promotion if things go really well - as Derby look to end what has now been a 10-year absence from the Premier League.
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.
The Rams have now lost just one of their last seven games across all competitions, winning five of those. However, their solitary defeat in that time did come in their most recent away outing.
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.
Derby have won four of their six away games across all competitions so far this season, but two of those outings have come in this competition.
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.
Derby have already made it further this season than they did last term, when they were knocked out by Barnsley in the second round, but it has been four years since they progressed beyond the third 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 quarter-final is one of six defeats Derby have suffered from their last seven League Cup ties against Premier League opposition, with their only victory in that time coming when they beat Stoke City in the 2008-09 quarter-final.
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.
PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes away from kickoff at Old Trafford, which means that it is time for a prediction!
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
These two sides have met in this competition in two previous seasons, including the aforementioned 2008-09 semi-final which United won - despite losing the first leg 1-0 at Pride Park.
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.
It has been more than 10 years since these two faced off in league competition, but they have been drawn together five times in cup competitions since then, including once already this year.
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.
Derby have now lost seven of their last eight away visits to Old Trafford, with their only victory in that time coming in May 2001 when Malcolm Christie scored the only goal of the game.
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.
Right, we're just about ready to get started here, so let's have a quick reminder of the team news before we do get underway...
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
KICKOFF: Here we go, then! United get us underway at Old Trafford!
CHANCE! United create the first chance after just 90 seconds as Mata spreads a pass out to Martial, who is given the space to whip a cross into the box. Lukaku meets it with a glancing header, but it is too close to Carson, who makes the save.
GOAL! MAN UTD 1-0 DERBY (JUAN MATA)
GOAL! Oh this is quite brilliant from United to break the deadlock after less than three minutes!
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.
© Reuters
This has been a brilliant start from United, who could be two up inside the opening five minutes. Really positive stuff from the hosts so far.
CHANCE! Just as I say that, Derby have a golden chance to level things up! Dalot dives in and doesn't win the ball, which affords the space for Mount to play an incisive low ball into the box.
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.
The Old Trafford faithful have not always been entertained in recent seasons, but this game has started at a really good tempo with both sides looking to get forward at every available opportunity.
CHANCE! Another big chance in these opening exchanges as Young plays a superb long pass forward for Mata, who arcs his run perfectly to beat the offside trap. Carson is alert while Mata is otherwise left all alone in the box, and the keeper makes a good stop to deny the Spaniard on the turn.
OFF THE POST! Young's resulting corner curls right into the box and clips the near post before being smuggled behind for another corner. This time Matic meets it, but he can only plant his header wide of the target.
Derby win a free kick in a good crossing position which Mount whips into the middle, but Romero punches it clear under minimal pressure.
CHANCE! United could - and probably should - be out of sight already here. Keogh produces a dreadful touch which gifts the ball to Lukaku, who pushes it past the defender and is suddenly through on goal.
Tomori tracks back really well, though, and puts the Belgian under just enough pressure to force him to fire wide of the target.
Things have just calmed down a little after what has been a frantic start to this match. Derby are not sitting back by any means here and have had one particularly good chance of their own, but they are also slightly fortunate not to be further behind here.
UPDATE: There are a number of other EFL Cup matches taking place tonight, and it is so far so good for the Premier League sides with Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Fulham all leading.
SHOT! More encouraging attacking play from Derby as they work the ball for Bryson to shoot from just outside the area, but his effort bounces a couple of yards past the post.
Derby are enjoying a good spell of possession at the moment, and they look more than capable of causing United problems going forward. Perhaps the more pertinent question is whether they can keep United out at the other end, though.
CHANCE! On this evidence, no. Martial beats Bogle all ends up to reach the byline down the left channel before standing a perfectly-weighted cross into the box. Carson cannot get on the end of it, but Lukaku also cannot get high enough and puts his header over the crossbar from point-blank range.
YELLOW CARD! Bennett is the first name in the book tonight for a trip on Martial, who is causing all sorts of problems for Derby.
SHOT! Half a chance for United as Bailly darts across the front of his man to meet a corner. It is a difficult opening, though, as he tries to flick it goalwards only to send it wide of the near post.
UPDATE: Defending EFL Cup champions Manchester City have taken the lead against Oxford, who held them at bay for 36 minutes before Gabriel Jesus was able to break the deadlock.
We're half an hour into this match now and the tempo has certainly dropped since that frenetic opening 15 minutes or so. Neither side will be too displeased with that as chances were being created far more often than either defence would have liked.
UPDATE: It is all about the Premier League teams so far tonight; Burnley have taken the lead at Burton now too. The only top-flight teams not in the lead now are Wolves and Leicester, who are facing each other at Molineux.
Bogle swings a cross into the box towards Nugent, who climbs highest in the area but still cannot get anything on his header as the ball goes through to safety.
Frank Lampard will be fairly content as the clock ticks down towards half time, despite trailing. His side are still in this game, are seeing plenty of the ball and could have been further behind too.
That is three times now that a United player has put the ball straight out of play with a poor pass on the manager's side. Jose Mourinho will not be happy with that.
Minor shouts for a penalty as Lukaku and Forsyth get into a tangle inside the area, but the referee doesn't have a second look and it is not worthy of a VAR review either.
Derby have the top three players - and four of the top five - who have completed the most passes in the opposition half so far in this game. They have had plenty of the ball in decent positions, but have not had the quality to capitalise on them yet.
There will be two minutes of added time at the end of this first half.
HALF TIME: MANCHESTER UNITED 1-0 DERBY COUNTY
The first half comes to an end at Old Trafford, then, and it is United who have the lead against Derby County at the halfway stage of this EFL Cup tie.
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.
The only goal of the game so far arrived after less than three minutes when Juan Mata scored his first goal of the calendar year, putting the finishing touch to a lovely team move.
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.
In truth, while Derby have held their own for the most part, United should be further ahead than the one-goal margin they have managed.
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.
Derby have created one glorious chance of their own which should have resulted in an equaliser almost immediately after they had fallen behind.
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.
KICKOFF: Derby get us back underway for the second half!
© Reuters
YELLOW CARD! Forsyth picks up an early yellow in this second half for a cynical tug on Lingard.
UPDATE: More goals to notify you of elsewhere - Burton have levelled things up against Burnley, Fulham and Bournemouth are both 2-1 up against Millwall and Blackburn respectively and Jordan Rhodes has a hat-trick as Norwich lead Wycombe 4-2.
Derby have made a promising start to this half again here, and it will be interesting to see whether United try to step things again in search of a two-goal cushion.
CHANCE! Big chance for Derby to get the equaliser as soon slick interplay on the edge of the box ends up with the ball falling into the path of Wilson. The Liverpool loanee tries to drill the ball into the bottom far corner, but Romero gets enough on his save to parry it inches wide of the target.
YELLOW CARD! Lingard is the first United player in the book tonight for a mistimed challenge from behind.
More encouragement from the visitors as Forsyth dances into the area before trying his luck, but his shot is blocked before it can test the keeper.
Concern for Martial here as he stays down clutching his shoulder after falling heavily. The winger has been United's best player so far tonight, so they will not want to lose him. It looks like he will be OK to continue, though.
Important defending from Bogle as he wins a header between two United players inside his own box, and Derby immediately launch a break which ends with them winning a free kick inside the United half.
GOAL! MAN UTD 1-1 DERBY (HARRY WILSON)
GOAL! Oh. My. Word. What a goal this is from Harry Wilson - the Liverpool loanee - to level things up at Old Trafford.
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!
It is hard to argue that Derby do not deserve that equaliser. United could have put the game to bed with a number of chances in the opening 15 minutes, but since then Derby have seen most of the ball and have look every bit United's equals.
SHOT! Johnson tries to emulate Wilson with a long-range, dipping effort of his own, but this time it flies over the United crossbar.
MAN UTD SUBS: Double change from the hosts here as Fred and
Marouane Fellaini replace Lingard and Herrera.
CHANCE! United almost respond quickly as Young squeezes a pass to Martial, who cuts inside from the left channel but fires his effort into the near side-netting.
A cross arrives from the left which Bennett meets with a header, but his looping effort is bread and butter for Romero.
RED CARD! SERGIO ROMERO (MANCHESTER UNITED)
RED CARD! Now then! Things get even better for Derby as Romero is sent off for a handball outside his area!
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!
MAN UTD SUB: Mata is sacrificed with United's third and final change as Lee Grant comes on for his United debut against his former club.
This time Mason Mount takes on the free kick duties from much closer than the previous goal, but his effort slams straight into the wall.
OFF THE POST! United almost regain their lead as they suddenly burst into life! Lukaku and Martial exchange passes on the edge of the box before the former digs out a fine effort on the turn which smacks against the post with the keeper beaten.
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.
...and I'd be surprised if anyone has scored a better one...
DERBY SUB: Lampard makes his first change of the night as Florian Jozefzoon replaces Bennett.
CHANCE! Jozefzoon almost makes an immediate impact with his first touch, but fellow sub Grant makes a stunning save to deny him. Jozefzoon did everything right with a powerful downward header from Bogle's cross, but Grant got down to turn it past the post.
DERBY SUB: Another change from the visitors see
Jack Marriott replace Nugent.
OK, I have teased you for long enough. Here is the Wilson screamer for your viewing pleasure - feast your eyes on this...
CHANCE! It is United applying the late pressure at the moment and a chance comes here as Fellaini knocks the ball down to Martial, who snatches at his effort and slices it well over.
We are just six minutes away from a penalty shootout now, and Derby may feel that their best chance to win this game actually comes inside the 90 minutes given their numerical advantage.
GOAL! MAN UTD 1-2 DERBY (JACK MARRIOTT)
GOAL! Incredible scenes at Old Trafford as Derby County take the lead at Old Trafford with just five minutes to play!
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!
DERBY SUB: Lampard makes his third and final change in the wake of that goal, with Andre Wisdom replacing Bogle.
A reminder that Derby have not won a Old Trafford since 2001. This would be an historic victory for the Rams, and one which piles more pressure on Mourinho.
CHANCE! Decent sight of goal for the hosts as Lukaku does enough to tee up Martial, but he lashes his effort well over the crossbar.
This one is far from over just yet - the fourth official indicates SIX minutes of added time!
GOAL! MAN UTD 2-2 DERBY (MAROUANE FELLAINI)
GOAL! Heartbreak for Derby as United level things up with just one minute remaining of stoppage time!
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!
YELLOW CARD! Matic picks up a late yellow card as the United fans sing Pogba's favourite refrain of "attack, attack, attack!"
END OF 90 MINUTES: MANCHESTER UNITED 2-2 DERBY COUNTY
Penalties it is then as United give themselves another chance to rescue something from this game!
GOAL! MAN UTD 0-1 DERBY - MASON MOUNT SCORES! Stunning penalty from Mount as he picks out the top corner!
GOAL! MAN UTD 1-1 DERBY - ROMELU LUKAKU SCORES! Lukaku buries his spot kick into the bottom corner!
GOAL! MAN UTD 1-2 DERBY - FLORIAN JOZEFZOON SCORES! Not the best penalty, but Jozefzoon gets enough on it to squeeze it past Grant!
GOAL! MAN UTD 2-2 DERBY - ASHLEY YOUNG SCORES! Young lashes his spot kick into the roof of the net!
GOAL! MAN UTD 2-3 DERBY - HARRY WILSON SCORES! Cool as you like from Wilson as he rolls it into the bottom corner!
GOAL! MAN UTD 3-3 DERBY - MAROUANE FELLAINI SCORES! More of the same from Fellaini, who makes no mistake!
GOAL! MAN UTD 3-4 DERBY - JACK MARRIOTT SCORES! Marriott also picks out the same corner!
GOAL! MAN UTD 4-4 DERBY - FRED SCORES! Another stunning spot kick as Fred picks out the side-netting!
GOAL! MAN UTD 4-5 DERBY - BRADLEY JOHNSON SCORES! Right on the corner again from Johnson to leave Grant no chance!
GOAL! MAN UTD 5-5 DERBY - ANTHONY MARTIAL SCORES! These penalties are brilliant. Martial picks out the top corner now!
GOAL! MAN UTD 5-6 DERBY - CRAIG BRYSON SCORES! Grant goes the right way, but Bryson puts enough pace on it!
GOAL! MAN UTD 6-6 DERBY - DIOGO DALOT SCORES! Dalot picks out the same corner to make it 12 successful spot kicks from 12!
GOAL! MAN UTD 6-7 DERBY - CRAIG FORSYTH SCORES! Forsyth now picks out the top corner!
GOAL! MAN UTD 7-7 DERBY - NEMANJA MATIC SCORES! Different corner, but same quality as Matic buries his into the opposite top corner!
GOAL! MAN UTD 7-8 DERBY - RICHARD KEOGH SCORES! Even the centre-backs are banging them in! Keogh makes no mistake!
GOAL! MAN UTD 7-8 DERBY - PHIL JONES MISSES! Jones sees his spot kick saved by Carson! Derby win!
FULL TIME: MANCHESTER UNITED 2-2 DERBY COUNTY (DERBY WIN 8-7 ON PENALTIES)
Incredible scenes at Old Trafford as Derby emerge victorious from one of the best penalty shootouts you will ever see in terms of quality spot kicks.
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!
Right, that is all we have time for this evening!
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!
