BATTLING Chelsea fought back from 2-0 down at Old Trafford to earn an FA Cup replay in one of the most seesaw of games with Manchester United.
Chelsea, utterly shambolic in the first half, finished the game searching for a winner after Rafael Benitez brought on the players almost everybody said he should have started with.
The near-fatal omissions from the team were clear from the start: defensive midfielder John Mikel Obi rested in favour of two men who have repeatedly proved they cannot play there, in Ramires and Frank Lampard.
Creative powerhouse Eden Hazard (pictured) benched for Victor Moses.
Less than five minutes were on the clock when Michael Carrick put a pinpoint pass in to Javier Hernandez on the edge of the Chelsea box: the Mexican heading the ball over an out of position Petr Cech,
Five minutes later it was two: Victor Moses giving away a free kick in an almost identical position to Hernandez' header; Rooney putting the set-piece beyond defence and Cech again.
Chelsea looked lost. There were men in blue out of position from one goalmouth to the other.
At one stage Wayne Rooney shot on Chelsea's goal, producing a fine double-foot block from Cech. What was the defence's response? David Luiz headed on his own goal: forcing Cech to leap high to save again.
United fans in the Stretford End began singing at Benitez: “You're getting sacked in the morning.” So did Chelsea fans in the away end, opposite.
Chelsea emerged from the break with no changes: to the incredulity of almost all.
Six minutes into the half came a double substitution: Victor Moses and Lampard making way for Eden Hazard and Mikel - if only he'd done that to start with.
With the hour looming Juan Mata, on the edge of the 'D' of the box, pushed a ball wide to Hazard: who let loose with a curling shot which soared past De Gea into the net.
Less than ten minutes later, and the sides were level: Oscar enabling Ramires to turn Jonny Evans one way and the other on the edge of the box, before putting a striker's finish past the outstretched fingertips of De Gea.
Both sides had chances as the game pushed towards a pulsating finale.
Juan Mata was only denied by the outstretched boot of a spread-eagled De Gea.
Chelsea, having displayed some of their worst, most clueless, football of the year ended the day in celebrations at gaining a draw.
The replay will be at a date yet to be arranged between the clubs, the FA and the Premier League.
The winner of that match will take on Manchester City in the semi-final at Wembley over the weekend of the 13th and 14th April.
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