Man Utd knocked out of League Cup by Lampard's Championship side
The former Chelsea midfielder helped Derby County beat Man Utd on penalties, after a 2-2 draw in 90 minutes on the evening of September 25.
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Mourinho and penalty misser Phil Jones' disappointment after the match. Photo:AFP |
Goals: Mata 3', Fellaini 90'+5 - Wilson 59', Marriott 85' (penalty: 7-8)
Old Trafford witnessed the biggest shock of the season when Phil Jones could not beat goalkeeper Scott Carson in the eighth penalty shootout. Man Utd were eliminated from the arena they had won five times in the first round, while Frank Lampard's Derby County advanced to the fourth round.
It was a disappointing performance for Man Utd at Old Trafford after being held to a draw by newcomers Wolves in the Premier League last weekend. Mourinho's side took advantage when Mata opened the scoring in the third minute, marking the Spanish midfielder's first goal in nine months.
However, Man Utd failed to take advantage of the lead to finish off their opponents. The tight game helped Derby regain their spirit and control the game to create dangerous opportunities. At the beginning of the second half, striker Harry Wilson, who is currently on loan from Liverpool, executed a superb free kick that left goalkeeper Romero rooted to the spot.
Wilson continued to torment Romero after that, getting away from him and forcing the Argentine goalkeeper to use his hand to block outside the box. The referee had no choice but to show the Man Utd goalkeeper a straight red card. With a man down, Man Utd conceded a goal thanks to a close-range header from Jack Marriott.
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Romero received a red card for using his hand to block the ball outside the 16m50 box. Photo:AFP |
Man Utd's efforts in the remaining time helped them equalize thanks to midfielder Fellaini's signature header. But that did not help Man Utd's spirit and overcome the penalty shootout. The 8-7 victory in the shootout gave Lampard a meaningful victory over his former teacher in the first meeting in the coaching chair.
The defeat to Derby in the League Cup continues to increase the pressure on coach Mourinho. The team has not played well at the beginning of this season with up to three defeats in all competitions. Old Trafford is no longer a solid fortress with two defeats and one draw.
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Fellaini's goal did not help Man Utd advance. Photo:AFP |
In the match on the evening of September 25, coach Mourinho showed his determination to win to regain his spirit after the disappointing draw at the weekend. The Portuguese coach used a strong squad, with the only notable absences being Paul Pogba and De Gea. When the match ended, Man Utd found themselves eliminated from the League Cup and in seventh place in the Premier League before the end of September.
The early opener boosted Man Utd's spirits but the final combinations lacked precision. The attack line of Lukaku, Martial, Lingard and Mata played disjointedly and did not work well together. The most regrettable thing was that Mata had a one-on-one opportunity but this player could have passed the ball back to Lukaku instead of trying to finish when the opposing goalkeeper was close.
Derby, meanwhile, showed tenacity in their defensive efforts and tried to build up the ball forward. The sixth-placed team in the Championship really picked up the pace in the second half, with wide players picking up the pace. Striker Wilson was the most active player thanks to his intelligent movement. The 21-year-old's equaliser from a fine free-kick was also the game-changing moment.
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Lampard made his first memorable mark on the coaching bench after accepting the job of leading Derby in the summer of 2018. Photo:AFP. |
Line-up
Man Utd: Romero, Dalot, Bailly, Jones, Young, Herrera, Matic, Lingard, Mata, Martial, Lukaku.
Derby County: Carson, Bogle, Tomori, Keogh, Forsyth, Johnson, Mount, Bryson, Wilson, Bennett, Nugent.
