Robin van Persie rescued a point for Manchester United in stoppage time after Didier Drogba had given Chelsea the lead
5.58pm GMT
Well, what a dramatic finale. It had looked like Chelsea were comfortable but they didnt do quite do enough to kill the game off and, just like against Manchester City, they ended up conceding a late equaliser. Theyll feel they should have four points than they already have. As it is, the draw takes them four points clear of Southampton and six clear of City, who have Manchester United to thank for that. Mourinho wont be happy with the Branislav Ivanovic red card but a draw was fair on the balance of play - this, after all, was undoubtedly the best Manchester United performance under Louis van Gaal. They go eighth, a point above Everton. Thanks for reading. Bye.
5.55pm GMT
Thats it!
5.53pm GMT
Didier Drogba rolled back the years for Chelsea and now Robin van Persie has reminded us of the days when you could never count out Manchester United! Di Maria finally got a set-piece right, placing it right on to to the head of Fellaini. His header was saved brilliantly by Courtois but the ball fell to Van Persie, six yards out, and he rammed it home with his left foot! Incredible! Chelsea have cracked. Jose Mourinho will be pleased. But what a moment for Van Persie.
5.52pm GMT
90 min+3: Chelsea are down to 10 men! Ivanovic gives Di Maria a slight shove as he prepares to cross deep on the left and Phil Dowd shows him a second yellow card!
5.50pm GMT
90 min+1: Well have four minutes of added time.
5.48pm GMT
90 min: Andre Schurrle, over his bout of flu, replaces Eden Hazard.
5.47pm GMT
88 min: Hazard trips Rafael on the right. Hes booked and United have a chance to get the ball into the area. Di Maria sends it in and Januzaj fouls Ivanovic.
5.44pm GMT
86 min: Well race you back to London, chant the wags in the Chelsea end.
5.43pm GMT
85 min: Corner to United, so Courtois catches it.
5.41pm GMT
83 min: Its extremely scrappy. The United fans sense there might yet be something in this for their team. On the subject of half and half shirts, during my university years I once met an international student wearing a Liverpool shirt with Man U 4 Life printed on the back, says Nick Hart. One can only remember the reaction when he went to get that printed up...
5.39pm GMT
80 min: Rafael crosses from the right and Wilson, quiet since his introduction, tries to direct a header over Courtois. He manages it but he also clears the crossbar. I feel like, as a Liverpool fan, I have some big decisions to make in this match, says Matt Dony. Do I want United to win, even though that lifts them above Liverpool, to stop Chelsea pulling even further ahead? Or do I accept now that last season was a bit of a one off, and there definitely wont be a title challenge this year, meaning Chelsea can do what they want, so United drop the points? I hate both teams, but I dont want to hope for a draw. Im so torn!
5.38pm GMT
79 min: Shaw comes inside and pokes a pass through to Van Persie, who turns away from Cahill, before forcing Courtois to save with his feet from an angle. Would he have scored that 18 months ago, though? Maybe. Anyway, United keep plugging away. Rafael finds Januzaj, who zips a shot a few yards wide from 18 yards. United may well have located a second wind.
5.37pm GMT
78 min: Do Manchester United also get to bring on Frank Lampard?
5.36pm GMT
77 min: Fellaini is booked for pulling back Hazard.
5.36pm GMT
76 min: More Drogba history. After that goal against Stoke, his last five goals in his first Chelsea spell came in an FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham, an FA Cup final against Tottenham, a Champions League last-16 match against Napoli, a Champions League semi-final against Barcelona and a Champions League final against Bayern Munich.
5.34pm GMT
75 min: In case you were wondering, Didier Drogbas previous goal for Chelsea in the Premier League came in a 1-0 win over Stoke City on 10 March 2012, a few days after Andre Villas-Boas had been sacked. How time flies.
5.32pm GMT
73 min: This is the worst thing that you will ever see in your life.
And you thought the half n half scarf was bad. Via @RFFH pic.twitter.com/Wz3jfw0VWG
5.30pm GMT
71 min: Januzaj plonks a cross straight into the hands of Courtois. You cant hang high balls into the Chelsea area when hes around.
5.29pm GMT
69 min: Brani Alves almost scores an absurd solo goal, dashing inside from the right and past a limp challenge from Rojo, but he flashes his shot wide of the far post from a tight angle. That was amazing, even though we didnt get the finish. Branislav Ivanovic! Hes not supposed to do that! Hes supposed to look stern. Moments later, Willian has a shot from the left. Its wide.
5.27pm GMT
68 min: It was Ivanovic who was booked. Glad weve cleared that up. Glad weve spent so many minutes of our lives wondering.
5.26pm GMT
67 min: Chelsea bring on Mikel for Oscar, United bring on James Wilson for Juan Mata, who hasnt done much to show Chelsea that they were wrong to sell him.
5.25pm GMT
66 min: Di Marias free-kick is nonsense, sent straight into the one-man wall. At least he gets a corner out of it, from which Smalling heads wide at the near post. By the way, it wouldnt have been Drogba who got booked given that he was already on a yellow card, so I assume it was Ivanovic.
5.24pm GMT
64 min: Di Maria tries to skip past Ivanovic, who puts his arm on his shoulder and gives away a foul. He cant believe it. On Sky, Gary Neville says it was good defending from the Chelsea right-back. Drogba, I think, is booked for complaining, just like old times. Its not clear.
5.22pm GMT
63 min: Mourinho, having decided that this match is a little too exciting, is delivering instructions to John Obi Mikel. My guess is hell be on for Oscar.
5.21pm GMT
62 min: Oscar is booked for a hack at Smallings calves. Meanwhile United have rather lost their way since going behind.
5.19pm GMT
60 min: Its all Chelsea.
5.18pm GMT
59 min: United havent seen much of the ball in the last few minutes. Chelsea stream forward again and Willians firm drive from 25 yards is held by De Gea, diving to his left. It would be good to see Willian shoot a bit more.
5.15pm GMT
56 min: So what can United muster in response? They dont deserve to be behind, having played well. But maybe thats the difference between these two sides at the moment - Chelsea are more streetwise. Are they at their best? No. Are they winning? Yes.
5.14pm GMT
55 min: What is it with Didier Drogba and near-post headers from corners for Chelsea? Hes got two in two for them now.
5.14pm GMT
Didier Drogba does what he does best: he scores a crucial goal for Chelsea! Hes looked cumbersome and off the pace until now, but just look. It turns out they can still rely on him. Fabregas sent the corner to the near post and Drogba darted away from Rafael to meet it and thump an unstoppable header past De Gea! As it stands, Chelsea are racing off into the distance at the top of the league.
5.12pm GMT
52 min: Fellaini skews a shot wide from the edge of the area after good work from Van Persie and Blind. More encouragement for United. But then theyre indebted to a brilliant save by De Gea from Hazard. The Belgian ran inside from the left and exchanged passes with Drogba, before bursting straight through the heart of the United defence for a confrontation with De Gea - who pushes his shot behind for a corner. But its all to no avail, because...
5.10pm GMT
51 min: Well see a good corner at some point, dont you worry.
5.09pm GMT
50 min: Fellaini, proving he does have his uses, cleverly flicks a header to Januzaj on the left. He wins a corner off Willian.
5.09pm GMT
49 min: But then Chelsea turn up the tempo on the right flank. Drogba slips a pass inside to Ivanovic. He moves it on to Hazard in the area. Hazard to Oscar. He cant turn. Back to Hazard. Hes crowded out. Its all a bit of an unholy mess but eventually United bundle it away and it all ends with Fabregas picking up a booking for a foul on Blind.
5.08pm GMT
48 min: United are doing well to crowd Hazard out. With Costa out, I suppose theyre able to place more attention on him.
5.06pm GMT
47 min: De Gea and Blind mess around with the ball at the back, playing with it far too slowly, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Chelsea watch them for a while. Then Blind passes it to Smalling, whos immediately under the pressure, causing him to lump it out for a throw. That was exactly like watching Barcelona at their best.
5.05pm GMT
46 min: Off we go again. Chelsea get the second half up and running. I wonder if Mourinho has told Hazard to get after Rafael, whos on a booking.
4.47pm GMT
Its goalless but its better than last year, a good, even first half in which both sides threatened to break the deadlock. United just about shaded the chances but Chelsea have had their moments. They do miss Diego Costa, though.
4.46pm GMT
45 min+1: Matas shot has just landed in the car park at the Trafford Centre.
4.45pm GMT
45 min: United go for a training-ground routine with the free-kick, Di Maria pulling it back to Mata, who wastefully blazes it over the bar
4.44pm GMT
43 min: Januzaj takes on Ivanovic again and this time he does get the better of him, his cute turn forcing Ivanovic to pull him down inches outside the area on the left. A long debate ensues about whether Dowd was right to award a free-kick.
4.43pm GMT
42 min: Mata sprays a pass out to Januzaj on the left. He runs at Ivanovic, pushing him back into the area, but his shot flashes past the near post, brushing the side-netting on its way behind.
4.42pm GMT
41 min: De Gea, so often the United hero, stops them falling behind as Drogba threatens. A long ball over the top is dealt with poorly by Rojo, whose header falls to Oscar on the right side of the area. He brings the ball down and waits for support, before pulling a pass back to Drogba, who rams a shot goalwards but too close to De Gea, who saves with his legs. Both goalkeepers have made good saves now.
4.39pm GMT
39 min: Hazard, Chelseas most threatening player, brilliantly wriggles out of a seemingly impossible position in the middle of the United half and runs at the defence, before falling just outside the area. But Rojo is not penalised. Play continues and Matic is booked for barging into Van Persie. Chelsea are annoyed.
4.38pm GMT
38 min: Di Maria sends the free-kick straight to Courtois.
4.37pm GMT
37 min: Rafael decides to explore a cul-de-sac down the right but Chelsea are too keen to win the ball back and end up fouling him.
4.36pm GMT
36 min: Chelsea appeal for a penalty as Ivanovic goes down under a challenge from Smalling and they might have had a point. Fabregas curled a free-kick to the far post from the left and Smalling appeared to pull Ivanovic down. Hes furious but Phil Dowd isnt interested.
4.35pm GMT
34 min: A mistake in Uniteds midfield and suddenly Willian is running straight at Smalling, whos the only defender back for the home side. But theres no conviction about Willians attempt to burst past Smalling, whos quick enough to quell the danger with ease. That was pretty lame from Willian. Moments later, though, United do it again, a loose touch from Blind conceding possession to Drogba. But he takes too long to find Hazard and the chance is gone.
4.32pm GMT
32 min: Not much has happened for a few minutes, which allows me to ask you the following: ever seen Thibaut Courtois and Novak Djokovic in the same room?
4.31pm GMT
31 min: Whisper it but United are looking like something approaching a proper team at the moment.
4.30pm GMT
30 min: And now theyre up again.
4.29pm GMT
29 min: Di Maria and Matic are both down after a coming together.
4.28pm GMT
26 min: Willian tries to beat Shaw for pace on the right but the left-back times his tackle well and manages to leave a bit in on the Brazilian for good measure. Hes feeling a bit sore for a few seconds but is up again after a quick rub of the ankle. Some footballers are discarded as it were, and so would have every right to do so, but many others do actually acknowledge that they were snapped up by BigClub only because LittleClub developed them well and provided them with the shop window, and so have the grace to feel a little uncomfortable, says Robert Coughlan. A 1-0 result, from a penalty that never was, or an offside that was missed, please - says this Saints fan!
4.27pm GMT
25 min: This is magnificent from Hazard, who beats both Di Maria and Rafael with a feint, a drop of the shoulder and a change of pace. He finds Willian on the right but his low cross is cleared. United are defending unusually well.
4.26pm GMT
24 min: Chelsea attack, United attack. Di Maria curls a cross in from the right and Van Persie tries to loop a back-header over Courtois. Not a bad effort, but Courtois is tall enough to save it. And Chelsea attack. This time its Drogba on the right. His cross is headed behind by Rafael. Another corner to Chelsea but again it comes to nothing.
4.24pm GMT
23 min: Courtois makes a fine save to deny Van Persie the opening goal! United broke with pace and Januzaj pierced the Chelsea offside trap with a pass through to Van Persie, whose shot was saved by the onrushing Courtois. He makes himself so big. Chelsea then stream up the other end, with Drogba in space on the left, but his cross towards Oscar is cleared.
4.22pm GMT
22 min: Drogba is booked for stopping Mata bringing the ball forward.
4.21pm GMT
21 min: Oscar nudges a pass over the top to Hazard. Its not good enough but Di Marias miscontrol, under no pressure, gifts Chelsea a corner. De Gea catches it.
4.20pm GMT
20 min: The game has quietened down a tad in the last ten minutes. I suspect that Mourinho wasnt particularly pleased with the space United were finding on the break and has reacted accordingly, with Chelsea stepping them back a little.
4.18pm GMT
19 min: Di Maria whips the cross in and it flies off Smallings bonce and over the bar.
4.18pm GMT
18 min: Di Maria jazzes past one Chelsea player, so Matic rudely steps across and bumps him over on the right. United have a free-kick in a similar position to where Di Maria scored from against QPR last month.
4.17pm GMT
17 min: Do you like pictures? Of games involving Manchester United and Chelsea? Then do I have just the thing for you!
4.16pm GMT
15 min: Oscar should release Drogba behind the United defence but his pass is unacceptably underhit and Rojo cuts it out. A waste. On the subject of being paid to sport a particular look (ref: 7mins) - I hope someone is slinging De Gea a few bob for that new haircut, says Alex Moss. Its awful.
4.15pm GMT
14 min: The corner comes in and is headed away as far as Hazard, who volleys the ball back out to Fabregas. He curls a cross to the far post, where its flicked wide by Ivanovic. Naturally a corner is given. United arent happy. Why would they be? Of course, that wouldnt have happened under the Ferguson Association, but those days are gone now. Not to worry, though, Drogbas header from the incorrectly awarded corner is harmless enough.
4.13pm GMT
13 min: Oscar sneaks on to a pass from Drogba behind Rafael. For a moment, I thought Rafael was going to foul him, like an idiot. But he controls himself and settles for giving away a corner.
4.12pm GMT
12 min: Hazard goes past Rafael as if he isnt there. Rafael rashly grabs him back and duly picks up a booking. Have fun marking Hazard for the next 80 minutes or so.
4.12pm GMT
11 min: On the subject of celebrating against your former club, I think we should go further and make players apologise for celebrating when they scored for their former club against their new club before moving to their new club. As such, Juan Mata should apologise to all United fans for scoring the winner here for Chelsea in 2013. Its good to have all the bases covered.
4.09pm GMT
10 min: We havent seen much of Fabregas yet. The thing about ellipsis is that it too often ends in ... bathos, says ... Charles Antaki. What you want is a bit of syllepsis, as in (to bring the well-known one about a huff and a sedan chair a bit more up up to date) Haaland went off in tears and an ambulance.
4.09pm GMT
9 min: This is a nice, brisk start from United. Theyre playing with energy when they attack. Mata feeds Shaw down the left. His cross is cleared to Di Maria, whose ambitious volley from 25 yards flashes well over. Still, you wouldnt have put it past him to get that right.
4.08pm GMT
7 min: Hazard takes his eye off the ball and lets a pass run out for a throw-in. Rubbish, him, rubbish. I heard that Mourinho is wearing that scarf because he is paid to, says JR in Illinois. I can detect no logo on the scarf so my question is who and why would someone pay him to wear it? For banter?
4.07pm GMT
5 min: United look edgy at the back and understandably so. Theyre giving the ball away in dangerous positions with too much regularity and that could spell trouble. Hazard zigzags into the area. But Fellaini slams the door in his face. He could be important today. The fuss over whether players should or should not celebrate after scoring against their old clubs, says Tom Shaw. Anyone in their right mind would want to rub their noses right in it. Will Mata celebrate?
4.06pm GMT
4 min: The corner is cleared and here come United, Di Maria charging up the right flank at a furious pace! He finds Mata and the ball eventually moves over to Januzaj on the left,. He drives inside and then rolls a pass through to Van Persie, who has a clear sight of goal in the Chelsea area. But then he slips at the crucial moment! Oh dear. He really is out of sorts. The ball stays alive, though, and Fellaini tries to make something out of it. He cant. Chelsea clear. Not for long, though. Mata pops up on the edge of the area and jabs a lovely disguised pass to Di Maria, who snatches a left-footed volley over from the right. More, please!
4.04pm GMT
3 min: The corner comes to nothing but back come Chelsea. Hazard zips down the left, reaches the byline and stabs in a cross that has Oscar interested. Another corner to Chelsea.
4.03pm GMT
2 min: Louis van Gaal is writing something on a sheet of paper. Although, thinking about it, he could just be doing a doodle of Jose Mourinho. Or maybe hes writing him a poem. Anyway Chelsea swing down the left flank. Luiss cross is half-cleared but then Rojo dumps United in it with a dreadful pass out from the back. The ball is worked to Oscar, whose shot from the edge of the area takes a deflection and spins out for a corner.
4.01pm GMT
Peep! Football! Manchester United, kicking from left to right, get the ball rolling. Its not long before they have ... a goal-kick. That didnt really deserve the ellipsis treatment, did it. Oh well. Its my minute-by-minute and Ill use ellipsis as ... and when I see ... fit.
3.57pm GMT
And here come the teams! Youll be pleased to hear that Manchester United are in red and Chelsea are in blue. Theres been a lot of nonsense recently where teams have worn away kits when there was no need to do so, presumably at the behest of some goon in the marketing department. None of that today, though, and no stupid tracksuits either. These teams are decked out properly. Heres hoping for a classic! Imaginary card-waving, says Eamonn Maloney. Who cares? Players and managers are always trying to influence the ref to give cards verbally, but as thats not visible/audible, to the audience, were lulled into thinking everyones sportsmanlike.
3.48pm GMT
Dont let all this football stuff distract you from the issue at hand: Mourinho looks like a walking carpet in that photo, says James Galloway. Im pretty sure he doesnt any more, so when did he transform from teenwolf to the smooth, silverfox we have today? And will van Gaal inevitably be given credit for it?
Actually Ill only be focusing on handshakes and shirt-swapping today. Screw the football. On which note: what are your favourite non-issues? Ill start: whether or not teams have poppies on shirts.
3.46pm GMT
And now its Van Gaals turn to speak about Mourinho. I have a relationship with everyone I met. But he is special because coming back in the football world. So there you are - special. I knew him when he was my assistant and he had to analyse all my opponents. He came every week to my house to explain so I know him very well. The respect came and confidence came and when you have confidence in people, it ends in a friendship. In the football, contact continues - and contact is not so often. So we have to be careful with our relationship. It helps that I know him but he knows me. What I have seen in his teams, he does the same that I do. But he is further in the process, you can see that. Nevertheless we can win today. These guys really like each other. I bet Mourinho doesnt do an early handshake with Van Gaal. I bet Van Gaal wont push Mourinho.
3.44pm GMT
Mourinho speaks about the absence of Costa. It is a blow for us but i think it is a blow for the game that there is no Remy, no Diego, no Falcao, no Wayne Rooney but we have our objectives. The fact we dont have a couple of players doesnt make us change.
And on Drogba. No, he is a different player than the others but obviously we are going to adapt to a different style of player who we believe has a lot to give us.
3.34pm GMT
I suppose all we can ask for today is that this is better than the filth served up in this fixture last year. In case youve forgotten, it was the one that Roy Hodgson really, really, really enjoyed and the one that everyone else cried about for a week. Nothing happened.
3.05pm GMT
RADAMEL FALCAO. OUT. PHIL JONES. OUT. DIEGO COSTA. OUT. LOIC REMY. OUT. WAYNE ROONEY. SUSPENDED. CESAR AZPILICUETA. SUSPENDED. MAROUANE FELLAINI. IN.
Manchester United: De Gea; Rafael, Smalling, Rojo, Shaw; Blind, Fellaini; Mata, Januzaj, Di Maria; Van Persie. Subs: Lindegaard, Herrera, Blackett, Wilson, Carrick, Andreas Pereira, Fletcher.
3.00pm GMT
Afternoon. Last season we were treated to one of the most gripping title races of all time but it is already in danger of turning into a one-Jose racethis year - good news for Chelsea, bad news for people who waste their time debating which league is the best in the world. With Manchester City playing silly buggers against Sam Allardyces band of heroic Hammers yesterday, Chelsea will go eight points clear of their biggest rivals and, lest we forget, six points clear of Southampton with victory against Manchester United today. Everything is rosy in Jose Mourinhos garden, so much so that he cant really be bothered with picking fights with anyone at the moment. His heart wasnt really in that row with Arsene Wenger - too easy now - and his complaints about players coming back injured from international duty arent exactly box office.
Mind you, he did have a point given that Diego Costa returned from Spains care with a groin injury to add to his already troublesome hamstrings, causing him to miss Chelseas past two matches against Crystal Palace and Maribor. Costa has also been in hospital with a virus, meaning that his involvement on the training ground has been minimal, and Mourinho had been saying that he did not expect him to be available today. Then Loic Remy injured his groin against Maribor, apparently leaving Mourinho with only Didier Drogba and Dominic Solanke as his fit forwards. Drogba, rusty against Maribor, is 36 and still finding his touch after an ankle injury, while Solanke is a kid; we had seen Chelseas vulnerability, the uncertainty surrounding the fitness of Costa, who was not spotted in the Chelsea party that arrived at Old Trafford earlier this afternoon. That would be great news for City if they hadnt already lost to West Ham, leaving them in need of a favour from United.
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