Read Dominic Fifield’s full match report here:
Full time: Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United
That’s the end of an increasingly enjoyable game. Costa and De Gea embrace. Louis van Gaal is giving the fourth official the hairdryer, for reasons that aren’t immediately clear. That Costa goal surely ends United’s title challenge, and De Gea’s wonderful save might end Chelsea’s chance of being in Europe next season. Paradoxically, fans of both sides should be pretty happy tonight, because there was plenty to enjoy in their attacking play. Thanks for your company, goodnight!
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90+6 min De Gea makes a brilliant save to win a point for United! Costa rumbled into the box on the left, came inside Smalling and drove a crisp shot towards the near post. It was going in but De Gea got down so smartly to tip it round the corner.
90+5 min Juan Mata is applauded off by both sets of fans as he is replaced by Ander Herrera.
90+4 min A lovely effort from Rooney, who beats Ivanovic on the left of the box and then floats a gentle chip over Courtois and onto the roof of the net. Courtois didn’t look worried, in fairness to him.
90+3 min Chelsea are pushing for a winner. Schneiderlin concedes a free-kick that is woefully overhit by Willian.
Fabregas stabbed a straight, short-range pass towards Costa in the area. He was played onside by Borthwick-Jackson, who came across and slid in to challenge as Costa shaped to shoot from eight yards. Borthwick-Jackson got there first, but his sliding tackle only diverted the ball away from the grounded De Gea, and Costa was able to tap the ball into the vacant net with considerable glee.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-1 Man Utd (Costa 90+1 min)
Costa has equalised!
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90+1 min Depay wasted a promising break with an almost offensively sloppy pass towards Schneiderlin.
90 min There will be six minutes of added time, a result of the Zouma injury.
89 min Willian curves a free kick to the far post, where Costa gets above Blind but thumps his header over the bar from six yards. He should probably have scored, or at least forced David de Gea into a miracle save.
88 min Alan Smith, on Sky, says United would be deserved winners, and he’ll be thrilled to know that I agree. Apart from the 10 minutes before half time, when they were all over the show, they have controlled the game. They haven’t created that many chances, they never do, but they have had a lot of the ball. Until the last 10 minutes, anyway: apparently Chelsea have had 93 per cent of the possession in that time! Pick that stat out!
87 min “Wow!” says Ezra Finkelstein. “Rooney didn’t score for United.” I know! First time since 2009 I think.
86 min Another United substitution: Memphis replaces the goalscorer Lingard.
85 min United can’t get out of their third, never mind their half.
84 min The corner is a poor one from Willian. But the pressure is building, and Mata fouls Hazard 30 yards from goal out on the left. Another Willian free-kick... is cleared.
83 min Smalling is booked for a deliberate handball, just outside the box to the left. I’m not really sure he could have done anything to get out the way, but never mind. The free-kick is taken by Willian and headed clear by Martial. A few seconds later, Terry wins a corner.
82 min I wonder if Luke Shaw or Borthwick-Jackson can play anywhere else, because this kid is the most promising homegrown United youngster in a long time. His crossing is outstanding and he seems eerily composed for a 19-year-old.
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80 min Lingard is booked for being a naughty boy.
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79 min “De Gea,” writes Mike Gibbons, whose brilliant book you should buy here. “This is Ronaldo 2008-09, without the histrionics. He’s going to do one, isn’t he? May as well enjoy him while we can.”
It’s so easy to get lost in the moment, and think that the best now is the best ever, but I can’t ever recall a goalkeeper with better reflexes than De Gea.
78 min Another good move from United is ruined by an overhit cross from Lingard. Van Gaal makes his first substitution, with Schneiderlin replacing Fellaini.
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76 min Mikel leaves his studs on Carrick, who is booed by the Chelsea fans for experiencing consequent pain. Some refs might have sent him off, though it was one-footed – rather than two, like Flamini earlier – and he was probably in control of his body.
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74 min Darmian’s low cross comes to Rooney, 14 yards out. His first touch controls it behind him, and as it bounces up he improvises to hook an acrobatic shot – not a volley – that is not far wide of the near post. Courtois had it covered I think.
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72 min Another good save from De Gea. Fabregas does really well to slip away from Blind and Borthwick-Jackson on the right side of the area before smashing a rising shot towards the near post. De Gea is sufficiently alert to stretch and push it behind for a corner – from which, Terry’s scuffed shot is cleared off the line by Martial. It might actually have been going wide, I’m not sure; Martial was on the far post anyway.
70 min This is a good spell for Chelsea. Cahill gets in front of Fellaini at the near post, running onto Willian’s right-wing corner, but he mistimes his header and United survive.
68 min A fine save from De Gea keeps out Ivanovic’s brilliant volley. A cross from the right was headed up in the air by Azpilicueta at the far post, and Ivanovic – lurking six yards out to the left of centre like all good right-backs – welted a technically superb left-footed volley towards goal. De Gea demonstrated his peerless reflexes, stretching to tip it over the bar. DDG is indeed dead, dead good.
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67 min Guus Hiddink makes his final chance, with Pedro replacing Nemanja Matic.
65 min If the scoreline stays like this, United will move within four points of City, five of Arsenal and Spurs and ten of Leicester. Martial almost makes it two, running clear onto Fellaini’s through pass, but Courtois plays sweeper-keeper to good effect. From the resulting throw, Lingard clatters a bouncing ball not far away from the top corner on the far side. Moments later, Borthwick-Jackson puts it another gorgeous cross but there’s only Rooney in the box.
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63 min Blind is booked for shoving Costa over from behind, just outside the box on the right.
It was a nice move involving Carrick, Martial, Mata and then Borthwick-Jackson, who fizzed a low cross into the box from the left. It ricocheted to Lingard, who was 12 yards out, facing away from goal and with Azpilicueta behind him. He kept his composure to take a touch and then smash a rising half-volleyed drive on the turn that gave Courtois no chance. That’s a really nice goal.
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GOAL! Chelsea 0-1 Man Utd (Lingard 61)
Manchester United take the lead with a fine goal from Jesse Lingard!
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59 min Play resumes, with Cahill on for Zouma.
“It was Sharpe!” says Scott Wightman. “Sorry. I got lost looking at this picture of Valbuena in action against Belgium the other week. IMHO Sharpe as the 5 is one of the great weird numberings because all of the virtues one traditionally associates with a 5 - physical strength, intense concentration, better without the ball at their feet - were absent from Sharpe’s (considerable) game. Zidane was a 5 but he genuinely could have played anywhere if he wanted to.”
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58 min Zouma is being moved very carefully onto a stretcher. I can’t remember the last time I heard a footballer scream as much as that. It brought to mind Syd Lawrence’s sickening injury for England against New Zealand in the 1991-92 Test series, though I should stress that there’s no suggestion Zouma’s injury is as bad as that.
(Warning: this clip is definitely not for the sensitive)
55 min Zouma is in trouble here. He’s screaming with pain every couple of seconds, and a stretcher is coming on. He landed awkwardly as he cleared a loose ball, and it doesn’t look good. Gary Cahill will replace him.
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Betis have won twice at home all season ... against David Moyes's Real Sociedad and Gary Neville's Valencia.
— Sid Lowe (@sidlowe) February 7, 2016
54 min A Chelsea substitution: Oscar off, Eden Hazard on.
54 min “All I remember about numbers was that the tiny sticky-backed ones you could buy to attach to the back of Subbuteo players used a glue that consisted of the most unadhesive substance known to mankind at the time,” says Kevin Porter. “I believe its modern application is to coat distressed ice-rinks.”
Oh my, I’d forgotten all about those. You could learn everything about the innate cruelty of life just by spending half an hour trying to number your Subbuteo players.
53 min Another chance for United. A cross from the right bounces off Martial, but he gets to the loose ball first and tees it up for Lingard in the D He shapes a curler towards the corner, and Courtois dives a long way to his left to make a fine save.
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51 min “I used to love the exoticism of squad numbers when they were confined to international tournaments,” says Martin Gamage. “Take the Holland team at the 1974 World Cup when the keeper, Jan Jongbloed, sported the number 8 shirt. It suggested that even the keeper had the ability to embrace total football, come over all Johnny Rep, and plant a wonderful shot into the opposition’s top corner.”
50 min Two chances for United. First Blind reads the play to pick Costa’s pocket near the halfway line and find Rooney. He comes in from the left and hits a good shot that is beaten away by Courtois, diving low to his right. United almost score moments later when Martial comes infield from the left, easily away from Ivanovic, only to drag a decent chance wide of the near post from 10 yards.
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49 min United have started the second half as they did the first, with lots of the ball.
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49 min “I detest both teams,” chirps Gene Salorio, “but I find Fellaini’s persistent fouling much more annoying than Costa’s thuggery. The latter is, sometimes, an amusing part of the spectacle. The former is just static.”
48 min Mata’s curving cross from a narrow position finds Rooney in space 12 yards out, but he mistimes his jump and the ball loops into Courtois’ hands. It was an awkward chance because the ball was hit with pace by Mata.
47 min “I think it was Denis Law who first used the phrase ‘Twisted Blood’, in relation to what George Best, on his debut, left Graham Williams of WBA with,” says Mark Power. “Although I’d hate to suggest that SAF allowed an unoriginal thought into his head ...”
I thought it was Paddy Crerand? I wasn’t saying Alex (we’re pals) invented it, just that he used it for the first time (to my knowledge) after that 4-1 win at Chelsea in October 1995.
46 min Peep peep!
It’s only Ray Parlour’s autobiography the return of our old friend Ryan Dunne!
“Re: numbers. I did always find it a tad off that Veron was given David May’s #4 shirt, but it’s amusing to imagine him asking what the previous occupier of the position was like and Fergie giving it the big sell (“aye he was a key part of the Treble success, just look at where the lad’s standing in the photos” etc).”
Half-time chit-chat “Is it decided?” says Jeffrey Sisler. “Is Cahill definitely the #3 centreback for Chelsea? I miss his height in the box.” Let me ask Guus and get back to you, I’m meeting him for a Flat White tomorrow.
@robsmyth0 Yes it was Lee Sharpe! Met him in 1992 in the Britannia Hotel in Manchester. Lovely chap #5
— Keeley Moss (@KeeleyMoss1) February 7, 2016
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Half time: Chelsea 0-0 Manchester United
Peep peep! An adequate half of football comes to an end. See you in 10 minutes!
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45+1 min Chelsea could have had a penalty there. Willian’s deflected cross came to Terry, 10 yards out. He hooked the bouncing ball towards goal, and it hit the hand of Blind before deflecting wide of the far post. Blind’s hands were up as he threw himself at the ball in the kamikaze/John Terry style, so you can understand why Chelsea were aggrieved.
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44 min After a nice move involving Rooney, Mata and Lingard, Darmian sidefoots a diagonal low cross that somehow misses everyone and goes out for a goalkick on the far side. That was a beautiful cross.
43 min Willian finds Costa on the left. He tries to come inside Darmian, who knocks the ball onto Costa and out for a goal-kick. Costa doesn’t dispute the decision. I know.
42 min United have restored order with a bit of tiki-takanaccio.
40 min Oscar does the sour metres, tracking back to concede a corner when Lingard breaks clear on the right. It’s United’s 10th of the half. Blind swings it in and Fellaini, wrestling with Zouma, heads not far wide of the far post from 10 yards. Actually that come off his shoulder, not his abundant noggin.
39 min “On the topic of squad numbers, I hold their introduction into the Premier League as one of the causes of the current state where about a quarter of Anfield empties in protest well before the end of the game, and even Arsene Wenger is advocating splurging forthcoming television millions on players (and their agents and salaries),” says David Wall. “They used to be just an additional treat to decorate international tournaments, but once they became common-place they then had to be followed by names on the back of shirts, for further ease of identification, and then you get the cult of the individual where a player signing a contract extension can be an item on the national television news without further explanation of the context or why it is significant (why anyone other than him and the club should care about his employment conditions). I wonder if a return to 1-11 numbering would roll back the tide.”
The only way to roll back the tide is to put the internet back in its box. We all know it, we just don’t know how to do it. Also: WAS IT LEE SHARPE?
38 min Diego Costa does his thing, bundling Borthwick-Jackson off and then stomping around with an affronted coupon.
37 min “This really has been a half of two halves,” says Maher Sattar. “That’s all I have.” It’s more than I got.
36 min Chelsea have been superb in the last 10 minutes and could easily have scored three times.
35 min Willian puts Borthwick-Jackson on his backside with a lovely feint and then sidefoots an inviting cross along the six-yard box. Darmian blocks Oscar at the near post and Azpilicueta at the far post can’t get there.
34 min Another chance for Chelsea, this time for Oscar. who picks up a return pass from Fabregas and sidefoots high and wide from a tightish angle, 10 yards out.
33 min “Surely, surely this is a United side that has improved and grown up and moved on from the one that huffed and puffed ineffectively only to be undone by one moment of Eden Hazard magic last season?” says Thabo Mokaleng. “Surely?”
Have you been cryogenically frozen for the last nine months?
32 min Costa misses the best chance of the match. It was a neat move from Chelsea, involving Oscar and Willian. Oscar played a penetrative ball down the inside right channel to Costa, who ran away from Blind and then sidefooted a shot just wide of the far post from 15 yards. It wasn’t a sitter, though he probably should have scored.
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30 min This is Chelsea’s best spell. Fabregas almost blunders straight through the defence, with the last man Smalling sliding it to challenge him.
“Speaking of shirt numbers, do you think Chelsea will retire the no. 26, if Terry is set to leave after the season?” says Konstantin Sauer. “After all, it’s not exactly one of the numbers regarded as ‘legendary’.” I suppose. Might as well.
29 min Ivanovic gives Martial a taste of his own medicine, driving forward to win a corner. It’s swung out towards Matic, whose flicked header at the near post is caught acrobatically by De Gea. It was a comfortable save.
“How often is Superjohn Terry going to fiddle with his CAPTAIN’S armband today?” muses Adam Roberts.
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28 min For all the unarguable competence of United’s passing, they haven’t created much. Mata has been busy but only Martial looks threatening.
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26 min Chelsea get their first corner of the match. It’s swung in and headed over the bar by Costa, who makes a beeline for the referee Mr Michael Oliver to complain about the intrinsic unfairness of being Diego Costa. Blind was leaning on him a but, but, well, no.
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24 min “No5,” says David Wall. “It was Mike Phelan, wasn’t it.” He used to wear No5, but I thought that was before squad numbers. Didn’t they come in for the second season of the Premier League? By which time Giggs was around and wearing No11, so Sharpe needed another number. I don’t know.
Jeez, this is hot chat.
22 min It was a goal from Ryan Giggs on this ground that first leg Sir Alex Ferguson to use the phrase “twisted blood”. Another United left winger, Martial, is starting to twist Ivanovic’s blood. He wins another corner, which leads to another corner, which leads to a third. Blind takes it and it so nearly falls to Fellaini six yards out. But it doesn’t, so let’s move on.
21 min Martial’s dangerous inswinging cross towards the abundant noggin of Fellaini is superbly defender by Terry (I think).
20 min It could be a long afternoon of the soul for Ivanovic against Martial, who looks the most dangerous player on the pitch.
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18 min That’s a lovely save from Courtois. Martial moved infield from the left, ignored Ivanovic and then, from the corner of the box, smashed a fierce right-footed shot towards the far top corner. Courtois stretched high to his left to tip it round for a corner.
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17 min “Afternoon Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Seeing as people seem to be asking questions in their emails today, riddle me this. Who do you reckon will be managing these two clubs in the corresponding fixture next season?” Mourinho and Simeone. You have my word.
16 min A wonderful, Gascoigne-like surge through the heart of midfield from Willian eventually leads to Oscar hitting a fierce 20-yard shot that is well blocked. That was Chelsea’s best/only attack so far.
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15 min “In the squad number era (better name than the Premier League era if you ask me),” begins Scott Wightman, “Bruce was United’s original 4 and Pallister the 6, but who was the original 5? Clue: it’s not Ronny Johnsen.” Was it Sharpe?
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14 min “If I remember, didn’t Liverpool start the decline of proper numbering by putting the slight and nippy Craig Johnston in the 5 shirt, in the days when it was the preserve of large chaps who looked like they snacked on housebricks?” asks Simon Cherry. Don’t forget Argentina 1978, who numbered their World Cup squad in the hipster style.
13 min A crisp low shot from Carrick, 25 yards out, is well held by Courtois down to his left.
12 min Mata and Rooney work the ball nicely to release Borthwick-Jackson, whose cross is blocked for a corner by Ivanovic. Borthwick-Jackson has started really well. Blind’s corner is headed clear to Rooney, who completely mishits a volley from 30 yards.
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10 min Another corner to United down the right. Blind takes it short to Darmian, whose cross is headed out for a throw-in by Terry. United are all over Chelsea.
9 min United have started so well that you feel sure they are going to lose 1-0 despite having 68 per cent possession.
8 min The corner is cleared to Borthwick-Jackson, who drills a low 30-yarder straight at Courtois. An easy save.
7 min Another corner for United, who are the dominant side at the moment. Blind swings it in from the right and Costa slices it behind for another corner.
6 min “What club did Manchester United buy Darmain from?” asks Dacre. “Also how much did they pay for him?” Torino, £12.7m; oh and you should definitely wear the pink tie.
5 min Meanwhile, in Naples.
4 min United have started like the home side, with some confident passing. Lingard finds Fellaini in a good position down the right; his low cross towards Rooney is inadequate, but moments later a better cross from Borthwick-Jackson is headed behind for a corner by Zouma. The corner is played short, to no great effect.
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3 min “Re: Tom Harp’s email,” begins Harry Tuttle. “I‘m always a little disappointed to see No6 in midfield and No4 stuck in defence, if I’m honest.”
All we can ask is that you be honest.
2 min A decent early attack from United ends with Matic blocking Lingard and allowing the ball to run through to Courtois.
1 min Chelsea, in blue, kick off from right to left. United are in red.
If you're into the whole pre-order thing, you can get I'll See You Out There here: https://t.co/8RIZDzH9rK
— Rob Smyth (@robsmyth0) February 6, 2016
The players emerge from the tunnel, with John Terry feeling the love of Stamford Bridge. This, of course, will be his last game against Manchester United before he signs a one-year contract extension.
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An email “Some trivia for you. Scottish FA Cup, East Kilbride vs Celtic, latest 0-1 (HT),” says Tom Harp. “East Kilbride line up with players wearing shirts 1 to 11. Playing formation 1-4-5-1. Goalkeeper is #1, defenders #2-5, centre-forward #9, midfielders the balance. When is the last time you saw that?”
It’s so funny you should say this, because yesterday my Saturday-league team played a 2-3-5-1 with the goalkeepers wearing #1-2, the defenders #3-5 and so on.
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Guus Hiddink and Louis van Gaal are chatting away on Sky. Here are the points of interest from their pre-match interviews:
Arsenal moved up to third with a 2-0 win at Bournemouth. That means Manchester City are now fourth, and United are seven points off a Champions League place, for a couple of hours at least.
The team news
Both sides are unchanged, so Eden Hazard stays on the Chelsea bench. You just haven’t earned it yet, baby.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1) Courtois; Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry, Azpilicueta; Mikel, Matic; Willian, Fabregas, Oscar; Costa.
Subs: Begovic, Baba Rahman, Cahill, Loftus-Cheek, Pedro, Traore, Hazard.
Manchester United (4-2-3-1) De Gea; Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Borthwick-Jackson; Fellaini, Carrick; Lingard, Mata, Martial; Rooney.
Subs: Romero, McNair, Varela, Schneiderlin, Herrera, Pereira, Memphis.
Referee Mr Michael Oliver.
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This is where Twitter really comes into its own
.@diegocosta and Kenedy arriving for today's game... https://t.co/pIJajC6zej
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 7, 2016
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From the archive
A typically brilliant piece from Scott Murray, including George Best managing to score at the Stretford End despite being the victim of a hit-and-run.
In the 1.30pm kick off, Arsenal are leading 2-0 at Bournemouth. Get the latest news with Nick Ames’ MBM.
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of this Premier League contest between the teams in 13th and fifth place, also known as Chelsea versus Manchester United. It’s been an odd time for both clubs, a lost season while Jose Mourinho does the necessary to get what he really, really wants.
Chelsea are unbeaten in 12 games since Mourinho was sacked in December. United are on a celebrated unbeaten run of their own – two matches, in which they have scored six goals, some of them beautiful. If they win today they will be able to rationalise that they are back in the title race.
Not that it will be easy for them to do so. In the 1980s and 1990s this fixture was almost an away banker. Since 1999, however, United have won three and lost 11 of their last 20 games at Stamford Bridge. That’s not all that has changed about this fixture. For much of the last decade it was a title decider, and in one case a Champions League final; now it’s almost a mid-table clash.
Kick off is at 4pm.
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