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28 March 2024

FA Cup QF Man Utd vs Chelsea: Chelsea 2 - Man Utd 2

Coach Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United and Rafael Benitez (right) of Chelsea. (Agencies)

Published

Chelsea and Manchester United will have a reply as this game ends in a draw, Manchester United 2, Chelsea 2.
United were up by 2 goals in 11 minutes and after that systematically crumbled.
Chelsea brought on all the big guns and in the second half, Ramires, Hazard and Mata took control of the game.

United, inexplicably, gave the ball away at every oppurtunity.
Valencia, Cleverley, Rafael and Kagawa were all pathetic, to say the least.
Hazard started the comeback with a great curling strike. Ramires then equalised after a quick counter-strike of which there were many for Chelsea.
Torres came on, Van Persie came on, Danny Wellbeck came on, but the score was to remain 2-2.

In the end United were hanging on for dear life and will consider themselves lucky to escape with a draw.
In the end, David De Gea kept United in the game with a great foot save.
Sir Alex Ferguson will bring out the hair-dryer for sure. Rafa Benitez will be very happy with the comeback.
Juan Mata, man of the match, is all praise for De Gea.

Rarely has Old Trafford seen their Red Devils crumble like this.
This FA Cup ties is not done yet. The replay will be at Stamford Bridge. United's double dream is still on... but only just.

Full-time, 2-2

Goals

Javier Hernández 5'
1 - 0
Wayne Rooney 11'
2 - 0
Eden Hazard 59'
2 - 1
Ramires 68'

2 - 2

94": Hazard ends the game with a stinging shot that De Gea keeps out. Ashley Cole's follow-up shot is then blocked. Game over

90": What a chance for Juan Mata. and What a save from David De Gea. Luiz finds Juan Mata who has his shot out from three yards blocked by De Gea's foot. United escape and will settle for a draw now.

87": Valencia's nightmare of a game continues as he breaks and then blazes a cross to nowhere.86": Cleverley kills United's attack twice. Once by giving the ball away and then by hitting a pass too hard. Corner kick for Chelsea now after Torres has a shot blocked.

84": Oscar and Mata open up United again, but Mata's shot is blocked. All Chelsea now. United holding on for dear life.

82": Mata injured and looks like he is in trouble. Seems to have twisted his ankle cutting back on Rio Ferdinand. What would Man Utd give for Ryan Giggs or Paul Scholes now to take control of the game. Mata plays on.

80": Hazard and Mata cut open the United defence, but take one pass too many. United break and Danny Wellbeck sets up Van Persie who has his shot blocked. Valencia is all at sea, giving the ball away again.

76": United have about 10 shots on goal in a five minute period. But Chelsea defend well. Torres on for Ba.

74": United just cannot get a cross in and Chelsea are breaking at lightening speed all led by Hazard. Chelsea supporters drowning out a packed Old Trafford crowd as well. yellow card for Hazard. Kagawa off, Wellbeck on.

72:" Nani going off and Hazard coming on has made all the difference. Valencia looks totally off colour, while Nani was playing with creative passion. Hazard has added penetrative threat. Ramires is now all over the place as well.

67": A great break by Chelsea after a David Luiz interception. Ramiresdribbles past Evans and curls it pas De Gea. Chelsea 2 Man Utd 2. United crumbling here. They just cannot keep hold of the ball.

60": Van Persie on for Hernandez.

58": Some intense Chelsea pressure ends in David Luiz testing De Gea. Hazard seems to be making all the difference. And then, he curls a beauty from the top of the 'D'. Chelsea back in the game.

55": Not the highest standards of play from either side, with plenty of give aways. United finally break on the right with Valencia sending Rafael down the flank. David Luiz slides in for a yellow card.

52": Cleverley gives the ball away and Mata goes on a run first, then, Ramires straight through the heart of United only to send his shot wide. Lampard off, Mikel on, Moses off, Hazard on.

50": Ashley Cole simply boots the ball out of play to give Man Utd a throw. Valencia unable to cross, but United hold the possession. Sustained Man U possession. Chelsea defence look anything but assured.

46": Second half under-way. TV pundits say Man Utd have to lose it based on Chelsea's first-half performance for the Blues to have any chance. One more goal for the Reds, and to state the obvious, it is all over.

Halftime

Manchester United came out like Red Devils truly possessed. In 12 minutes, United were 2 up and Chelsea did not know what hit them.
Chelsea’s nemesis Hernandez opened with a great header froma great Carrick pass.

Rooney then found the net thanks to some woeful Chelsea defending. He swung the ball in from a free kick and every one let it go. Including the entire Chelsea defence.
Chelsea then fought back but have just not been able to nail the final pass.

Frank Lampard and Victor Moses both had two great chances. Cech, meanwhile, kept Rooney out the other end.
Tom Cleverley, Shinji Kagawa and Rafael then began to give the ball away and Fergie was on the touch line to ensure the 'tom' foolery stopped.

Rooney tried to curl one past Cech reminding all, including Bayern Munich, what he is still capable of.

United ended the half comfortably, but it is all for Chelsea to do in the second half. Valencia is on for Nani.
 

44": Man Utd ending the half much like they started - all over Chelsea. Nani now down injured. Nani to be replaced. Gets a standing ovation.

42": All Chelsea now as a great cross can't find its way to a Chelsea head. Fergie is furious with Man Utd for just giving the ball away. Yellow card for Azpilicueta .

40": Now this is beginning to be a theme. United give the ball away, this time Oscar wastes the possession. And again and Demba Ba can't make it count. And again and Moses takes a wild shot with the goal in sight.

37": Man Utd beginning to give the ball away far to easily. Chelsea still unable to threaten. Rooney down with an injury as David Luiz breaks. A great chance to cross the ball again wasted by Chelsea. The Blues cannot get that final ball into the 'D'.

28": Chelsea have some great posession but Rio and Evans are standing strong with some strong defending.

25": Cech saves Chelsea with great double save. Evra set up that move and the Chelsea defence were all at sea with the cutback, Rooney fires but Cech makes a great save. And then stops a David Luiz own goal.

22": Another Chelsea chance! Cleverley gives the ball away and Mata goes on a wonderful run setting Frank Lamaprd up who hits it straight at De Gea.

20": Chelsea chance! Goes a-begging and United break again with a clever chip from Nani almost finding Hernandez again.

18": De Gea tries to play it our off a back pass and only gives Chelsea a throw in. Cole finds space on the right but can't get his cross in. Chelsea seeing more of the ball now.

13": Chelsea get a free kick now just outside the box as well. Man Utd deal with the free kick. Chelsea reeling here, with Carrick playing some magnificent passess.

10": Demba Ba beats Ferdinand in the air quite easily. From the corner Man Utd launch a lightening counter. Moses has to foul Nani for a freekick on the left, just outside the box. Rooney swings it in and it beats everybody. Including Cech. 2-0 Man Utd.

4": Carrick lobs a beautiful past to Hernandez who gets in behind the Chelsea defence and catches Cech in no man's land. Chicharito heads a lob into the corner. Last 3 Man Utd vs Chelsea games have produced 20 goals. So expect some more.

2": Demba Ba and Rio Ferdinand have an early clash.

0": Seconds away from kick off now. Wayne Rooney is back with Shinji Kagawa and Jonny Evans. Danny Welbeck, Nemanja Vidic, and Robin van Persie on the bench. Chelsea have John Terry on the sidelines as Gary Cahill returns, with Victor Moses and Demba Ba ahead of Fernando Torres.

Manchester United David De Gea 1 Rafael 2 Rio Ferdinand 5 Jonny Evans 6 Patrice Evra 3 Nani 17 Michael Carrick 16 Tom Cleverley 23 Shinji Kagawa 26 Wayne Rooney 10 Javier Hernández 14

Chelsea 1 Petr Cech 28 César Azpilicueta 4 David Luiz 24 Gary Cahill 3 Ashley Cole 7 Ramires 8 Frank Lampard 10 Juan Mata 11 Oscar 13 Victor Moses 29 Demba Ba

If anyone does horses for courses, it is Sir Alex Ferguson and nobody knows it better than Wayne Rooney.
However, a closer inspection of Fergie’s comments to the Manchester United official website reveals Robin Van Persie could also be about to find that form in a form team can still put you on the bench.

Enter Chelsea’s nemesis: Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez.
“We’ve got to prepare and we’ve got a big squad, so I’ve got to make sure I pick the right team bearing in mind who our opponents are,” Sir Alex explains.

“I’ve got an issue in that Shinji scored a hat-trick against Norwich and then did not play on Tuesday. I think he and Wazza (Rooney) are both best at playing that role behind the main striker. We’ve also got Chicharito, whose goals record against Chelsea is unbelievable. So I’ve got a lot of these issues.”

Could that be the hint that sees RVP benched tonight?

 

Windy Webb to trap Blues

Football fan Dan Levene tweets that he is at Old Trafford and there is a bitterly cold wind whipping about the place. - Dan Levene ‏@BluesChronicle
This could play into United’s hands rather than the more quick ground-passing game of the Chelsea trio – Mata, Hazard and Oscar
Twitter is also alive with talk of Howard Webb refereeing the game. This of course could just be to make the United fans feel better about having a ‘home’ referee ;)

No time for feeling sorry

From Sir Alex’s programme notes ahead of tonight’s Chelsea clash: “A league and Cup double is now our target and if we can pull that off it won’t be such a bad season. We will pick ourselves up and give it our best against Chelsea with a performance that I hope you will enjoy. Yes, Europe will rankle for a long time, but it’s no use feeling sorry for ourselves.”

Tonight’s FA Cup quarterfinal clash went from being a really big tie to a match of almost-Champions League semifinal proportions.

Thanks in no small part to Chelsea being out of contention for anything else but the FA Cup and United being Red Carded out of the Champions League at home to Real Madrid.
Chasing a treble United and Sir Alex Ferguson showed that there is no such thing as a weakened squad. He fielded a strong line-up against Norwich before the Real tied, a great

Rooney-less line-up for the Madrid disaster and tonight will be no different.

Rafa Benitez will know only too well that Old Trafford will be looking for vindication of their team being robbed from Europe and can expect both, Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie to start.

Stat attack
And the first stat snack of the day comes courtesy WhoScored.com: Chelsea are undefeated in their last 27 matches in the FA Cup.