Manchester United vs Chelsea: Manchester United beat Chelsea 2-1 at Old Trafford. (Source: Reuters)
Manchester United returned to second in the Premier League table after staging a come-from-behind win against Chelsea at Old Trafford. No dramatics from either managers throughout the game – no fracas between the players either. Willian scored for a second game running Romelu Lukaku had his involvement in both United goals – scoring one and assisting the second. Jesse Lingard popped up to score the winner after Willian put Chelsea ahead and Lukaku drew parity. Chelsea were good in patches, much better of the two teams in the first half but the second half more or less belonged to United. Mourinho’s substitution of throwing in Lingard paid off in the end for all three points.
Manchester United vs Chelsea, Score, Updates and Goals from Old Trafford:
Referee blows the full time whistle and Manchester United come from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 at Old Trafford. For second year in a row, Mourinho edges Conte at Old Trafford. United return to second in the Premier League table
Four minutes added on after the 90 minutes. Can Chelsea get an equaliser?
Fabregas with a chip to Morata into the area, the Spaniard gets the shot on and it goes into the goal off the post. But it has been flagged as offside. Very, very close. May well have been onside. Yep, on further looking, it looked on. Just. Tough call for the official to make.
Cynical challenge from Matic and he is booked. Willian tried to skip away, almost did but former Chelsea man holds on from behind to prevent any further movement.
Chelsea: Giroud and Fabregas on, Moses and Drinkwater off
Manchester United: Bailly on, Sanchez off
Right back, Willian has the space and time to unleash a shot but his fierce hit, trying to beat De Gea at the near post, doesn't work out. Spain's No 1 gets firm hands to keep the ball firmly in his grasp
GOAL! Manchester United take the lead in the 75th minute with Jesse Lingard. SUPER SUB! Pedro and Rudiger don't go to close down Lukaku with much fervour to allow him to angle the ball into the box. Little dink into the area, Lingard is unmarked at near post and heads past Courtois! Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea. OLD TRAFFORD IS BOUNCING!
Chelsea change: Eden Hazard walks off the pitch and he will be replaced by Pedro
What a beautiful bit of play from Romlelu Lukaku and then Thibaut Courtois. Lukaku twists in the air and volleys a chipped cross behind him with superb technique - only for Courtois to fingertip it over the crossbar! Wonderful play from both
First change of the game. Manchester United with the first change. Jesse Lingaard comes on to replace Anthony Martial. Decent outing for Martial today.
Not so convincing from De Gea in goal. Speculative shot from Drinkwater from outside the area and it is parried away straight into the path of an attack that never came. None of the Chelsea players back up the effort and it is cleared away by Valencia before Alonso could do anything to the rebound
Manchester United's all time top goalscorer Wayne Rooney is in the stands and former manager Louis van Gaal is in the media room. Questioned on rumours linking him to Chelsea job, the Dutchman says, "That's fake news!"
PEEP PEEP! Second half underway at Old Trafford. Manchester United get the second 45 minutes underway. Same of the first half please. Thanks!
Two minutes of stoppage time comes to an end and also of the first half. Good start, scrappy middle before things reached fever pitch after the half hour mark. And there has been no melee either. Willian with his 12th goal of the season while Lukaku scored his first against a top-four side this season. At half time, Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea
Chelsea before the United equaliser: "“Your city is blue ... just like London, your city is blue!” Heh, well done!
Quickly taken free kick and Hazard has a sight of goal. But his attempt is thwarted as United defenders come back in numbers to ruin a potential chance. Comes to Alonso but his attempt is off the mark. Things getting much, much better now!
Romelu Lukaku has equalised for Manchester United! It is 1-1 at Old Trafford after 40 minutes. Just the kind of response the fans would have wanted. Lovely bit of play between him and Martial inside the Chelsea box. Sanchez with a razor sharp pass to Martial from outside the area and Martial lays it in Lukaku's path who side foots it past Courtois. As Chelsea gathered momentum, United hit right back. 1-1!
Chelsea go ahead through Willain - who scored in the midweek too - and it is 1-0 to the Blues! Against the run of play, Chelsea take the lead. Willian involved in clearing the United corner and then attack moves quickly to the other side of the pitch. Comes to Hazard who plays a reverse ball with Willian in acres of space while United defence go to mark Hazard. Has the option of passing to a fellow Chelsea player at the far post but drills low and into the far post beyond De Gea. MANCHESTER UNITED 0-1 CHELSEA!
Professional foul by Kante as Pogba skips away and initiates a counter. Tugs Pogba from behind and brings the Frenchman down. Kante is booked
Chance for Alexis Sanchez from inside the Chelsea box but the attempted toe poke with Blue shirts closing him down is tame and into Courtois' hands. Good spell of play for United now. It is 0-0 after half hour of play at Old Trafford
Old Trafford finally finds its voice as Manchester United attack from the left and in numbers. Martial running the counter from the left before it broke down. Returned soon after with Lukaku taking a shot at the end, however it has been blocked and is cupped easily by Courtois.
Scrappy, scrappy, scrappy! The flow of play that was there in the first ten odd minutes has evaporated. Both teams trying to move things but being stopped from doing so with fouls or breaks in play. Neither attacks testing the keepers. So much so, De Gea is sending his goal kicks out of play! Goalless at Old Trafford after 22 minutes
After being dominated by Chelsea in the first ten minutes, Manchester United seemed to have taken control of the situation. Getting involved in the Chelsea half with Lukaku and Sanchez involved. Not working out to test Courtois though. Stays 0-0 after 15 minutes
Chelsea have the early charge and they almost come close to scoring. Alonso with a cross from the flank, into Morata's path in the area and the Spaniard gets his foot to it even as a United player fails to close him down. But Morata's effort comes back off the woodwork. Hazard pounces on the return but his shot is tipped over by De Gea. Conte, on the touchline, is already jumping - something he had said he likes doing if his team is playing well
KICK OFF! No squirmish between Conte and Mourinho before the game. Basic handshake to begin things. No drama... yet. On to the football then!
An 89th minute winner for Spurs at Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace. Who else but Harry Kane with the goal! A header from the corner and Spurs take all three points.
On paper, both teams look very attacking but then again, how they go forward remains to be seen. Both managers can well turn this into a snoozefest - something Mourinho has on quite a few instances this instances. But sure hoping for attacking intent from both.
Manchester United XI: De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Lindelof, Young, Matic, McTominay, Pogba, Martial, Lukaku, Sanchez
Subs: J Pereira, Bailly, Shaw, Carrick, Mata, Lingard, Rashford.
Chelsea XI: Courtois, Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger, Moses, Drinkwater, Kante, Alonso, Willian, Morata, Hazard
Subs: Caballero, Cahill, Zappacosta, Emerson, Fabregas, Pedro, Giroud
Against the top-six, Manchester United don't have the greatest record under Jose Mourinho. United have won only four of their 16 league matches under the Portuguese against the other established top-six teams while drawing five and losing seven, scoring 12 and conceding 18 in the process. The team's attitude in Sevilla also came under criticism as the team stood back and soaked in the pressure while allowing the Spanish club to go after them.
Hello and Good Evening for our live coverage of the Manchester United vs Chelsea, Premier League game at Old Trafford. Neither side in contention for the title it seems after Manchester City blitzed past everyone but still lots to do in the battle for top-four and that all-important second place for European place next season. Centre of attention will be the managers: Conte vs Mourinho. After all the battle in the press conferences, it has now turned to the pitch side.