The Capital One Cup returns to the fray this week, with a blockbuster slate of third round matches.
Local rivalries are the order of the day, with Aston Villa and Birmingham locking horns in the Second City derby, while Tottenham host Arsenal for the north London bragging rights, as the teams involved in European competitions join the fun.
But aside from the derby action, this week should also see a host of youngsters given the chance to impress, as managers shuffle their packs.
Here are five youngsters to look our for in the third round.
Demarai Gray - Birmingham
Tuesday night's Second City Derby will feature a juicy subplot as two of the Midlands' best prospects go head-to-head.
Jack Grealish and Demarai Gray competed against each other growing up and City starlet Gray is determined to outshine his Villa counterpart at Villa Park.
Gray has had a host of Premier League clubs on his tail, but the likes of Bournemouth, Leicester and Liverpool missed out on the 19-year-old's signature this summer when he penned a new deal at St Andrew's.
The exciting winger has established himself as an England youth international and is already one of the Blues' key men and has the match-winning abilities to make a difference against Premier League oppoisition.
“I feel within myself I am becoming more of a dangerous player," he said ahead of the Aston Villa clash.
"I want to be a threat and be positive and known as a player that teams have to worry about.”
Villa Park will be the perfect stage to do just that.
Read more:Gray has his say on the Villa clash here
Patrick Roberts - Manchester City
Manchester City snapped up the England Under-19 star in the summer for lofty £11million from Fulham, but Patrick Roberts has already shown City fans just what he is capable of.
The 18-year-old waltzed through the Juventus defence in the UEFA Youth League last week to slot home and also chipped in with two assists in City's 4-1 win.
“All I can say to City fans is that I want to get people out of their seats and take people on," he told the City website following the game. “I love attacking, running at players and being positive."
And a run-out against what has been a hapless Sunderland defence could be the perfect next step in his evolution at the Etihad, following his late call-up to the bench following David Silva's injury in the warm up against West Ham.
In fact, Roberts could be one of a number of City youngsters given a taste of first-team action this week, with Kelechi Iheanacho looking to build on his match-winning cameo against Crystal Palace, while Pablo Maffeo, Manu Garcia and Angus Gunn were all rested for City's EDS game against Sunderland on Sunday.
Sean Goss - Manchester United
Louis van Gaal may be weary at throwing in too many youngsters in what could be a tricky tie against Ipswich following last season's disaster against MK Dons, but he could be tempted to reward midfielder Goss' recent impressive form.
Signed from Exeter City in 2012, Goss has progressed through United's youth team set-up and was handed a place on United's pre-season tour to America with the first-team squad.
Goss was a key part of United's Under-21 title winning side last term, with his tidy, crisp passing and efficiency in possession drawing comparisons to Michael Carrick, as reserve boss Warren Joyce talked him up:
"He's a dependable lad and has got it all sorted when the ball comes to him with his pass selection. His technique is good and he's worked really hard," said Joyce.
The German-born 19-year-old is at his best as a sitting midfielder as he has that underrated talent of being able to let his team-mates around him tick.
Alex Iwobi - Arsenal
In recent seasons Arsene Wenger has been less willing to throw in a multitude of kids into the early rounds of the League Cup and with Tottenham providing the opposition this week and the Gunners on a two game losing streak, he is unlikely to blood too many teenagers this week.
One player Wenger could be tempted to throw in is promising forward Alex Iwobi, who caught the attention of the Gunners faithful pre-season, when he was first included in Arsenal's touring squad to Singapore and then netted against Lyon in the Emirates Cup.
Iwobi has worked his way though the ranks at Hale End, playing in a number of positions as Academy coaches tried to figure out where best to utilise the youngster's pace and silky feet.
Able to operating at full-back, winger and even up-front, Iwobi has been capped at England Under-16, 17 and 18 levels, but the Lagos-born Gunner looks set to declare his international future to Nigeria.
Iwobi is the nephew of former Bolton playmaker Jay-Jay Okocha and it would appear that he can call on some of the former Nigeria international's skill on the ball, while at the same time maintaining an efficiency in possession that could sometimes let down his more famous relative.
“I like his team attitude, his movement,” said Arsene Wenger after the Lyon game. “We have a game based on movement and speed, and he integrates that very well. He has good power and is usually efficient – he scores goals a lot.”
Tottenham would be quite the stage to make his competitive debut for the Gunners, but from the glimpses he has shown, Iwobi is worth closer inspection.
Jamaal Lascelles - Newcastle
If there's ever a team that could do with a shake-up in the Capital One Cup this week, it's Newcastle United. A woeful start under Steve McClaren got that bit worse when the Magpies lost at home to Watford at the weekend and there's plenty of underperforming stars that could be set for the chop.
Fabricio Coloccini has been in the firing line this season and the Magpies need to begin planning for life without their skipper. England Under-21 defender Jamaal Lascelles was signed up from Nottingham Forest as one for the future a year ago, and following a loan spell back at the City Ground last year, that time could be now.
Lascelles has all the tools to become a Premier League quality central-defender, with only a lack of experience and rawness currently keeping him out of the Newcastle starting XI.
A run-out at St James' against Championship side Sheffield Wednesday should be the perfect opportunity to see if the 21-year-old is ready to be parachuted into what could quickly become a shambolic Premier League campaign in the north east.
Read more:Where are the Premier League's 10 youngest-ever players now?
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