Lingard had produced the decisive second strike in the win over Everton on New Year's Day and this time out, the 25-year-old broke down the stubborn Derby rearguard and sent United on the way to the Emirates FA Cup fourth round with another wonder goal.
The in-form Warrington man has now scored 11 goals this season - matching his combined tally for the last two campaigns. Five of those strikes, along with his energetic performances, helped him to win the club's Player of the Month Award for December, as voted for on Twitter.
The fans were out in force to vote for Lingard again on Friday as he was the overwhelming winner of the Man of the Match accolade, claiming 80 per cent of the final vote after team-mates Paul Pogba (12 per cent) and Ander Herrera (eight per cent) were also nominated.
Reflecting on Lingard's goal and his strong recent performances afterwards, boss Jose Mourinho said: “It was an amazing strike. Just recently from our fans [he was] the player of the month. [He scored] an amazing goal at Goodison Park and now he scored an important goal for us, but honestly everybody is happy for him and the team really deserved this.
"He’s in a clear evolution. I think he’s comfortable in the positions he plays, I think he’s improving with the progressive style of play of the team. He’s playing progressively in a different way which makes him feel even more like a fish in the water and he’s in this moment where things go well for him."bold****bold****bold