Huddersfield Town and Derby County will both have aspirations of winning promotion to the Premier League this season - and it was the latter who kicked their 2019/20 campaign off in perfect style on Monday night.

Big things are expected of the Rams this year, with Phillip Cocu - a three-time Eredivisie-winning manager with PSV - looking to breath new life into Pride Park after missing out on promotion last term.

The game started with both sides playing a very similar formation - the Rams sticking with the 4-3-3 system that served them so well under Frank Lampard last season.

With former loan stars Harry Wilson and Mason Mount returning to parent clubs Liverpool and Chelsea respectively, Derby will be relying heavily on the flair and guile of Tom Lawrence this season - and the Welshman was a nightmare for Huddersfield from the off.

Drifting from inside the left channel into the number 10 role, the attacker was a nuisance throughout the first half, and on another day, the Rams could have been awarded a penalty for handball in the opening minute.

As Huddersfield failed to supply the isolated Karlan Grant up top, Derby continued to pile on the pressure, with George Evans coming deep for the ball and looking to play out from the back. As minutes went by, Lawrence continued to threaten, winning two free-kicks on the edge of the area, both of which came to nothing.

But, with Huddersfield cheaply giving the ball away on more than one occasion, Derby, and Lawrence, made Jan Siewert's men pay. After some pressure in the corner, Tommy Elphick's attempted chest back to another fellow debutant, Kamil Grabara, was too short, and there was Lawrence to chip into an empty net.

The goal may have come after some misfortune, but it was a well-deserved one to say the least - and there was certainly nothing bizarre about the second goal that came just minutes later. Lawrence, again, picking the ball up on the edge of the area, twisting and turning, and curling a superb shot into the top corner.

Two goals in the matter of minutes blew Huddersfield away - they just couldn't get into the swing of things, with Juninho Bacuna and Florent Hadergjonaj both failing to pick out a killer pass on the counter-attack.

Aaron Mooy and Alex Pritchard tried to push the Terriers into second gear, but to no avail. Out of nowhere, however, Siewert's side got a goal back - a corner was not properly dealt with, and moments later, Kieran Dowell brought down Bacuna in the box, allowing Karlan Grant to step up and convert from 12 yards.

This then sparked the Terriers into life, with Adama Diakhaby using his presence and pace to full effect, getting in behind to win two corners for the Terriers. End-to-end stuff at the John Smith's Stadium.

The pendulum then swung back in Derby's favour towards the end of the first half. Lawrence's mazy runs continuing to be a problem for Huddersfield, with Elphick putting in a last-ditch challenge before he got a shot off.

Arguably the best chance of the half came on the stroke of half-time, with Florian Jozefzoon picking up a loose ball, pulling the ball back to Martyn Waghorn who forced a great save from Grabara - putting an end to an enthralling first half.

Huddersfield needed to improve, and they definitely got better as the second half began. Christopher Schindler's point-blank header denied magnificently by Kelle Roos in the Derby net, and Jonathan Hogg beginning to pull the strings in midfield.

A slight tactical change from Siewert during the half-time break, with Aaron Mooy dropping deeper and Bacuna playing more advanced as they looked to get back on level terms. The former was inches away from the levelling the scores for the Terriers, as Derby failed to replicate the tempo and level of quality that they displayed in the opening 45 minutes.

As the game went on, substitutions were made by the hosts. Isaac Mbenza coming on to replace the injured Bacuna, and instantly getting into the action by winning a corner, after smart link-up play with Terence Kongolo down the left. Elias Kachunga replacing the lively Adama Diakhaby after 68 minutes.

Mbenza continued to threaten for the hosts, winning a corner which was won with ease by Matt Clarke, who was a man mountain alongside Keogh throughout. The 22-year-old really impressing on his debut, after signing on loan from Brighton.

Huddersfield pushed desperately for an equaliser, with Kachunga squandering their best chance of the game, firing well over Kelle Roos' crossbar from 15 yards on the 80th minute mark.

That miss proved costly for the Terriers, and despite bringing on Collin Quaner for Grant late on, Geoff Eltringham blew the final whistle, with Derby picking up their first league win of the campaign.

Any fears of Derby failing to perform without Mount and Wilson were firmly put to bed on Monday night, with Tom Lawrence blowing the Terriers away and proving to be the catalyst in Phillip Cocu's first win at the helm of the Rams.

If he continues to replicate those kind of performances all season long, then the East Midlands could well have another push for promotion on their hands.