There was a sense of déjà vu, with Manchester United winning 3-2 over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge for the second straight time in three days with one minute of stoppage time remaining.
However, a poor decision from young defender Scott Wootton, who brought down Ramires inside the box, allowed the Blues back into the game, with Eden Hazard slotting in the penalty in the final kick of normal time to force extra time.
Three further goals were scored in the extra period with Chelsea coming out winners 5-4 to advance into the quarterfinals of the League Cup.
In another entertaining, but this time controversy-free, game between the two sides the players on the pitch made the headlines, with the referee very much in the background.
United were the ones to hit the front yet again - the away side taking the lead three times through Ryan Giggs, Javier Hernandez and Nani, only for Chelsea to peg United back all three times, via David Luiz, Gary Cahill and Hazard. Sturridge and Ramires scored in the extra period to give Chelsea a 5-3 lead, even if Giggs' late penalty set a few Chelsea hearts fluttering.
If everyone expected United to explode like they did against Chelsea on Sunday, it did not happen with both side making quite sedate starts, with Roberto Di Matteo deciding to start with the likes of Juan Mata and John Obi Mikel - the two players involved in the issue with Mark Clattenburg.
The opening goal came off an uncharacteristic mistake from goalkeeper Petr Cech in the 22nd minute. An ill-advised short goal-kick towards Oriol Romeu, allowed Anderson to pressurize the young Spaniard and nick the ball, before spreading it to Giggs, who made no mistake in slotting it past Cech.
Nine minutes later though, the scores were level at 1-1, after Victor Moses, who was Chelsea's best player in the first half, was brought down inside the box by left-back Alexander Buttner. Luiz stepped up to take the spotkick, with Hazard yet to come off the bench, and squeezed it past Anders Lindegaard.
The man who scored the controversial winner on Sunday, inevitably, then came to the fore. Anderson again capitalized on some poor Chelsea play - Luis the culprit this time giving the ball away - with Hernandez picking up the ball from the Brazilian before expertly finding the back of the net two minutes from halftime.
A couple of substitutions were made at halftime with Nick Powell coming on for Buttner while Mikel, who had picked up a booking, was take off with Ramires taking his place.
Seven minutes into the second period, Cahill made it 2-2, powering home a header, off a Mata corner, despite the best efforts of Rafael to keep it out.
The scores were level for only seven minutes, however, with Nani restoring United's lead for the third time. A neat one-two with Anderson, saw the winger through on goal, before nicely dinking the ball over the advancing Cech.
Chelsea tried to get back into the game, with Moses and Cesar Azpilicueta missing a couple of close-ranger headers.
Just when it looked like the home team were going to go away empty-handed yet again, Wootton unnecessarily bundled Ramires inside the box, with referee Lee Mason left with no choice but to award a penalty. Hazard coolly slotted it in, sending the game into extra time.
In the bonus thirty minutes, the Blues looked the stronger side, but had to rely on another big mistake from a United defender to score. Wooton, inexplicably, nodded a long ball straight onto the path of Sturridge, who made absolutely no mistake in the seventh minute of extra time.
Ramires then put the game beyond doubt, or so one thought, with four minutes remaining, getting on the end of a swift counter.
However, like it always seems to happen in such big high-scoring games, United made it a remarkable 5-4 with a minute remaining, Ryan Giggs slotting home another penalty after Cesar Azpilicueta brought down Hernandez inside the penalty area.
The goal came too little too late, however, as Chelsea held on for a morale-boosting victory, to end an unbelievable couple of days of the League Cup after Tuesday's crazy 7-5 win for Arsenal over Reading.
In other games, two late goals from - a Jan Vertonghen own goal and a Simeon Jackson strike - helped Norwich post a 2-1 win over Tottenham after Gareth Bale had given Spurs the lead in the 66th minute.
Brendan Rodgers did not enjoy a happy game on playing against his former club Swansea, with Liverpool losing 3-1 to Michael Laudrup's side. Chico, Nathan Dyer and Jonathan De Guzman the scorers for the Welsh side, with Luis Suarez netting the consolation goal for the home side.