Man Utd 2-2

Independent:

Simon Stone

Wayne Rooney ended a tortuous week by scoring, but David de Gea proved to be Manchester United's hero for saving their FA Cup skins after Sir Alex Ferguson's team threw away a two-goal lead in their quarter-final with Chelsea.
Second-half goals from Eden Hazard and Ramires had pulled the visitors level after Javier Hernandez and Rooney struck early.
It seemed certain Juan Mata would complete a memorable comeback when he stepped inside Jonny Evans in the final minute.
But De Gea, so often the target of criticism, stuck out a leg to keep Mata out and United in the tournament.
The replay will not suit Ferguson, still less so Rafael Benitez given it could potentially force Chelsea into four games in a week or trigger the postponement of a Premier League fixture.
However, both have reason to be thankful, United because their collapse from a position of such immense promise could so easily have been total, Chelsea as at half-time it seemed Benitez was being given another hefty shove towards the Stamford Bridge exit door.
It had all been about Rooney before kick-off, given the intense speculation that followed his omission from the United side that faced Real Madrid on Tuesday.
Yet from the moment he was captured bouncing off the United team bus with a wide smile of greeting for the security staff in attendance, it seemed certain this would be a day of redemption.
Rooney's name was chanted by the United faithful, not in criticism of Ferguson, but in confirmation of the striker being one of them, part of a United family so carefully pieced together by their manager, who until Nani's dismissal in midweek truly believed another Treble was on.
Hernandez, someone with just as great a claim on a starting berth and whom did not appear for a single minute against a team held in so much affection in his native Mexico, had already struck in quite spectacular fashion before Rooney found the net.
Lining up a free-kick wide on the United right, level with the penalty area, Rooney aimed for the far corner.
David Luiz and Jonny Evans both jumped but missed it and by the time Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech could react it was too late. The ball flew into the corner and Rooney had his goal.
He did not really mean it but he took the acclaim anyway, raising his arms and turning slightly to acknowledge those in rapturous celebration.
Rooney nearly got a second in first-half stoppage time, as he deliberately sent another free-kick from a similar position on the other side of the pitch fizzing on to the roof of the net.
United's only other opportunity of that opening period also involved Rooney, but it was far more notable for a ridiculous attempted clearance from Luiz after Cech had saved Rooney's shot, which forced his goalkeeper into another reaction save.
Amid all this, Chelsea had done quite well.
Frank Lampard came close on a couple of occasions, Mata teased the United defence and rolled an inspired backheel into the path of Victor Moses, only for the former Wigan man to screw his shot so badly wide it actually hit the corner flag, prompting the rather cruel taunt of "Are you Torres in disguise?" from the home support.
The vitriol from the away contingent to their own 'interim' boss was even worse when Benitez took Lampard off as part of a double change nine minutes after the re-start.
But Benitez is not quite the no-nothing Chelsea's disgruntled supporters think and his tactical switch worked a treat as one of the men introduced, Hazard, injected fresh hope into the Blues by curling a superb effort into the far corner beyond De Gea.
The impetus it gave Chelsea was marked, and when Rooney lost possession deep in the visitors' half, United were caught out with a classic counter-attack that ended with Ramires expertly drilling home.
It was the second time this season the Brazilian had completed a Chelsea comeback from two goals down against United.
On the first occasion, at Stamford Bridge in October, Chelsea then had two men sent off and were beaten by Hernandez.
This time they managed to keep everyone on the pitch and they would have been the ones to claim victory had it not been for De Gea.

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Guardian:

Chelsea's Ramires secures FA Cup replay as Manchester United blow lead

Daniel Taylor at Old Trafford

For a long time it had looked as though this could be added to the considerable list of indignities engulfing Rafael Benítez. It is not often the chants of "sacked in the morning" emanate from both sets of supporters and, at 2-0, it was shaping up to be the kind of result to accelerate the process of changing that word he dislikes so much. "Interim" might conceivably have become "former" if Chelsea had finished this match as they started.
What happened instead can be partly attributed to the sapping effects a traumatic defeat to Real Madrid had had on Sir Alex Ferguson's players. They looked weary, mentally as well as physically, and were fading badly by the end. Yet those excuses only stretch so far and this still represents a victory of sorts for Benítez. There were cries of "You don't know what you're doing" from Chelsea's supporters when he took off Frank Lampard and Victor Moses early in the second half. He should cherish what followed because these kind of moments have been all too rare in his brief, often tumultuous spell in charge.
It was the notification that this Chelsea team, for all their problems, still have the capacity to trouble accomplished opponents and their badly beleaguered manager does, perhaps, know a thing or two more than the club's mutinous supporters might want to admit. The first goal came from one of his substitutes, Eden Hazard, and was a beauty. The second, from Ramires, followed a wonderful move of classy, incisive counterattacking. Benítez's team have not been renowned for their perseverance and competitive courage under his watch but they would have booked a place at Wembley were it not for an exceptional save from David de Gea, jutting out his right boot to deny Juan Mata in the last minute of normal time. Even then, there were still three separate occasions when Chelsea's adventure and penetration might have won the match and prevented the rigmarole of trying to shoehorn a replay into an already congested fixture schedule.
The transformation was remarkable bearing in mind the way they began the match, riddled with errors, looking short of confidence and perhaps suffering their own fatigue. Ferguson was entitled to blame tired legs and minds but Chelsea, lest it be forgotten, did not get back from their Europa League tie against Steaua Bucharest until the early hours of Friday.
They had looked like obliging opponents at first for a United side trying to shake the Madrid defeat out of their system. The home side's goals both arrived inside the first 11 minutes, first from Javier Hernández and then Wayne Rooney, and Chelsea's defending was so erratic in the first half the damage could have been even more substantial.
It began five minutes in when Hernández peeled away from Gary Cahill and applied just the precise amount of elevation to Michael Carrick's perfectly weighted ball. Carrick's vision and technique, from fully 40 yards, made long-ball football look beautiful but the goal was a wretched moment for Petr Cech, charging off his line and stranded in no man's land as Hernández's twisting, improvised header looped over him.
Rooney, restored to the starting lineup, doubled the lead when a free-kick intended as a cross eluded everyone before bouncing sharply off the turf to deceive Cech and, at that stage, Chelsea were little short of a mess at the back. David Luiz and Demba Ba had both jumped to head the ball and missed. Before half-time Cech had prevented David Luiz scoring an own goal, straight after denying Rooney a second.
As for Chelsea's best opportunity, Moses's effort was so wild it connected with the corner flag. These were moments when Benítez must have felt very lonely as Old Trafford rejoiced in the difficulties for a former Liverpool manager and Chelsea's supporters turned their hostility on him.
He deserves credit because Hazard's introduction played a considerable part in the turnaround. Mata gradually emerged as the outstanding player on the pitch. Cahill had been just as vulnerable as David Luiz in the first half. Yet Chelsea's defenders shook their heads clear after the break and, suddenly, it was the players in red making unforced errors.
By the end, even a player as refined as Carrick was misplacing passes. Rafael da Silva had regressed to the impetuous, raw full-back who can endanger his own team. Patrice Evra was not a great deal better on the opposite side. Ferguson concluded that both his full-backs were "knackered". Fortunately for United, Rio Ferdinand played as though determined to impress the watching Roy Hodgson. His clash with Fernando Torres, a late substitute, aggrieved Chelsea and probably smacked of his own frustrations.
Hazard's goal came seven minutes after replacing Moses, running through the left-hand channel, showing the ball to Da Silva and then curling a right-foot effort into the opposite corner.
After that, Chelsea often pinned back their hosts with the speed and ambition at which they counterattacked. Their equaliser was classy in its creation, with Ba and Oscar both involved as they swept upfield, culminating in a left-foot shot from Ramires that beat De Gea despite the Spaniard getting his fingertips to the ball. Ferguson brought Robin van Persie off the bench and moved Rooney to the left but the tactical change had little effect. Nani had left with a hamstring injury and his replacement, Antonio Valencia, is having an undistinguished season. United, as Ferguson admitted afterwards, were lucky not to be out.

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Telegraph:
Manchester United 2 Chelsea 2
Henry Winter

Rafa’s cracking up? Only with smiles. Chelsea’s besieged interim first-team manager shrugged off catcalls from the Stretford End, continued baiting from his own Chelsea fans and another snub from Sir Alex Ferguson to change the course of this absorbing FA Cup quarter-final with two highly influential substitutions. Fact.
Benítez will never endear himself to Chelsea fans, following ill-considered past remarks, but he deserves praise for bringing on Eden Hazard, who swiftly scored a wonderful goal, and John Obi Mikel, who brought some resilience to a previously passive midfield. A counter-argument could be presented that Benítez should have started Hazard but at least he reacted, at least he made the right call. He is off in the summer but at least he will take the satisfaction of knowing he outwitted Ferguson here with his changes from the bench.
Suddenly, Chelsea remembered they were FA Cup holders. They fought hard, defended better, attacked more and would have won but for another reminder of the remarkable shot-stopping qualities of David de Gea, who stretched out a right boot to deny Juan Mata right at the death.
The replay date has still to be decided because of Chelsea’s Europa League distractions before Manchester City learn their semi-final opponents at Wembley. If United play as powerfully as they started here, they will progress. If United play as weakly as they ended here, they will deservedly be knocked out.
It was United who faded badly here. It was United who looked like they had flown back from Bucharest late on Thursday. For the final half-hour of this tie it was Chelsea who appeared to have enjoyed 46 hours more rest time. The way Benítez’s side attacked in the second half was a reminder of what can transpire if visitors play without fear here.
For United fans, it must have been alarming to watch the life drain from their players. Jonny Evans made some important clearances, De Gea made some crucial saves, and Michael Carrick could hold his head up high for his work in midfield but too many others wilted.
Wayne Rooney was good for 45 minutes, scoring and scheming, but his influence ebbed after the break, particularly when he was again pushed wide when Robin van Persie and then Danny Welbeck came on. United’s other substitute, Antonio Valencia, who had arrived in the first half when Nani hurt a hamstring, looks the shadow of the force of last season.
For almost an hour, all seemed well for Ferguson and woeful for Benítez. Both sets of supporters were still trading toxic songs about Benítez when his team fell behind. Carrick created United’s first after five minutes, picking out Javier Hernández with a drilled, 40-yard pass. Petr Cech totally misjudged the situation, rushing out, gifting space behind him which Hernández found with a calm, accurate header. Gary Cahill also failed to be more alive to Hernández’s movement.
Benítez had paired Cahill and David Luiz, a slight surprise with John Terry available. Seemingly a king in exile in his own domain, Terry looked on from the bench. One day Terry may write his story of his Chelsea career and his views on Benítez will surely make fascinating reading.
The afternoon worsened before it improved for Benítez. After 11 minutes, Rooney took charge of a free-kick in front of the Stretford End, whose residents were singing his name. Rooney curled in the ball which comfortably cleared the two-man wall of Victor Moses and Ashley Cole. It dropped towards a crowd of players, carrying sufficient force to carry it through Luiz’s curls and continue into the net. Rooney smiled and blew a kiss to the United fans.
Chelsea attacked a bit but without real conviction. Jonny Evans blocked a Moses shot. De Gea saved from Frank Lampard. Moses then hit the corner flag, prompting the home support to ask “Are you Torres in disguise?” United were breaking occasionally, looking for a third. Hernández shot over. Cech saved from Rooney and then reacted athletically to push over Luiz’s surreal attempted clearance. Rooney chipped the ball just over.
At the break, many expected Benítez to bring on Terry to organise the defence and push Luiz into midfield to inject some energy. Chelsea needed more direction, more invention, more belief. Benítez waited six minutes and then made his move. The sight of Lampard being withdrawn was greeted by Chelsea fans with chants of “You don’t know what you’re doing”. The Stretford End joined in with “Rafa’s cracking up”.
Not here. The changes worked. Mata picked out Hazard, who wrong-footed Rafael before curling the ball past De Gea just before the hour. With Mikel anchoring, Ramires pushed on more. Within nine minutes of Hazard’s goal, Chelsea equalised through Ramires. Demba Ba and Oscar combined to send Ramires into the area. He turned Evans, and placed a measured left-footed shot past De Gea and in.
Mata almost won it in the 90th minute. Luiz nicked the ball off Van Persie and lifted a fine pass to Mata, who elegantly steered the ball around Evans. Only De Gea’s reflexes kept United in the Cup.
It would not be a game between such rivals without controversy. Off the ball, Rio Ferdinand tripped Fernando Torres and pushed him in the back. The Spaniard looked totally bemused as the United centre-half pulled him back up. Ferdinand’s petulant act requires
an explanation, probably to the Football Association. Howard Webb did not take any action, presumably having missed the incident, so the beaks can intervene.
A well-established enmity resurfaced. At the final whistle, Benítez marched straight to the tunnel, not even waiting for the possibility of being blanked by Ferguson. As he strode off, Benítez could have been forgiven for permitting himself a quiet smile.


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Mail:

Manchester United 2 Chelsea 2: Eden better for Benitez - lonely Rafa changes game as substitute Hazard forces replay

By Martin Samuel

Rafael Benitez approached Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea at the end, and  congratulated him on the save of the match. A sporting gesture? A show of national solidarity? He probably just needs the friends.
Mocked by the home supporters, vilified by the travellers, Old Trafford must have felt a very lonely place for Benitez on Sunday. A goal behind after five minutes and two down six minutes later, his substitutions attracted only derision, particularly the replacement of this season’s cause celebre Frank Lampard.
That these introductions ended up changing the game, and should have led to a Chelsea victory, will give Benitez quiet satisfaction. It hardly matters now.
He is gone at the end of this campaign, even if Chelsea win the FA Cup, the Europa League and qualify for next season’s Champions League
Benitez could end up very  successful and still be looking for work by mid-May.
He would never admit this, but what happens from here is as much a personal quest as any shared mission.
The counter-argument is that Benitez should have started with Eden Hazard, the inspiration for the comeback, and that John Terry’s presence at the heart of defence might have prevented at least one, if not both, Manchester United goals. We will never know.
What is plain is that Chelsea  were the better team from the 52nd-minute substitutions onwards, and created more in the second half than United did before half-time.
De Gea’s save from Juan Mata on 90 minutes ensured a replay, and prevented that rarest of beasts, an away win for a team which trailed at Old Trafford at half-time.
May 7, 1984 was the last time United lost a league match here having led at the interval, yet a three-goal Chelsea revival would not have been undeserved.
Once Benitez replaced the misfiring Victor Moses with Hazard, and brought in Mikel for Lampard, releasing Ramires, the balance of power altered.
Chelsea were rejuvenated and United seemingly on their last legs. Nothing Sir Alex Ferguson did made a difference. Robin van Persie came off the bench and was anonymous, so too Danny Welbeck.
A Chelsea defence that had looked so vulnerable early on grew in assurance, particularly David Luiz.
Meanwhile, Hazard and Juan Mata were linking superbly to wreak havoc on the counter-attack.
Rafael and Patrice Evra were sluggish under threat, Jonny Evans uncertain. Only Rio Ferdinand kept his composure amid Chelsea’s pressure, although he later lost it with Fernando Torres and was lucky to escape the attention of referee Howard Webb.
A game that had seemed moribund was suddenly bursting with life.
It was as if a switch had been flicked. Before Hazard arrived, this was almost a training exercise for United.
They were 2-0 up, coasting, and clearly thought Chelsea offered no threat. Perhaps this was why the second-half surge hit them so hard. Until that point there had only been one team in it.
You can’t give United a two-goal lead and get away with it, is the pervading logic, although Chelsea did. The first attack of significance, a raking long ball from Michael Carrick, picked out Javier Hernandez, who had been given too much space by Gary Cahill.
This error would have been without cost, however, had Petr Cech not come bounding from his goal in a forlorn attempt to sweep up. Hernandez, judging the situation perfectly, lobbed a header into the far corner of the net.
It is often forgotten that the player who is most commonly hard done by at United is the Mexican striker, who would be a favourite son at most clubs in the Premier League — certainly Chelsea, given the problems they have had up front since Didier Drogba left.
It soon got worse for the visitors. Moses fouled Nani wide and Wayne Rooney stood over the free-kick. After the week he has had, one almost knew the script and he did not disappoint.
He whipped the ball in, Luiz, Demba Ba and Evans missed it, and the ball flew directly into the net past a startled Cech. Chelsea looked done and United should have pressed home their advantage.
Hernandez came close at the near post from a cross by Nani, while Rooney had a shot well saved from a low ball in from Evra, which Luiz then inexplicably headed towards his goal while attempting to clear. Cech was equal to it yet again.  
To encapsulate Chelsea’s ineffectuality, a nice one-two between Moses and Mata ended with the striker hitting a shot so wild it nearly found the corner flag. They looked a side low on confidence, class and the wit required to mount a revival against opposition of this quality.
What changed? Hazard changed. He came on and refused to sink into the torpor that had previously affected his team-mates. He arrived and set about a United team that may still be feeling the hangover of Champions League defeat. He took the initiative and went straight to the heart of United’s weakness this season: the defence.
Within seven minutes, Chelsea were back in the game. Mata laid the ball out to Hazard on the left, who capitalised on naivety from Rafael to cut inside and curl an exquisite shot past De Gea.
Nine minutes later, Chelsea were level and in the ascendancy. The goal came from a counter-attack inspired by Luiz. Deployed in central defence, he grew into a good game, yet his best moments invariably put one more in mind of a defensive midfield player.
He brought the ball out from the back with urgency, finding Ba, who moved it on quickly to Oscar and then Ramires on the overlap. His shot took a little kick off the pitch, sending it beyond the reach of De Gea, who got his fingertips to the ball, but without enough firmness to keep it out.
From there, Chelsea were always likelier to score again.
They had shots from range, kept out by De Gea with varying degrees of conviction, but his stop that saved the day was outstanding.
Luiz crossed for Mata, who brought the ball down, beat Evans and then fired a low shot which De Gea just succeeding in diverting for a corner. The keeper competently gathered another late, late effort from Mata, but it his 90th-minute intervention that stood out.
Benitez did not find time for  niceties with Ferguson but, with his players offering collective thanks to the travelling support, he made a point of singling out De Gea for a handshake. He really had nowhere else to go.

MANCHESTER UNITED: De Gea, Da Silva, Evans, Ferdinand, Evra, Carrick, Cleveley, Nani (Valencia 45), Kagawa (Welbeck 75), Rooney, Hernandez (Van Persie 61). Subs not used: Amos, Anderson, Vidic, Young.
Goals: Hernandez 5, Rooney 11

CHELSEA: Cech, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill, Cole, Ramires, Lampard (Hazard 51), Moses (Mikel 51), Mata, Oscar, Ba (Torres 77). Subs not used: Turnbull, Ivanovic,Terry, Bertrand.
Goals: Hazard 59, Ramires 68
Booked: Azpilicueta, Luiz, Hazard.

Referee: Howard Webb

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Mirror:

Man United 2-2 Chelsea:
Hazard and Ramires goals cap remarkable fightback to secure Stamford Bridge replay
Martin Lipton

Hands up if you saw that coming. Fergie certainly didn’t. Not at half-time. Nor, in truth, did anybody else inside Old Trafford.
But as Rafa Benitez went from staring at humiliation to pondering what should have been, United were left facing their first real doubts of the entire campaign.
A week which began with dreams of the ultimate Treble, cruelly undone by that infamous red card for Nani on Wednesday night, ended with them hanging onto their Double ambitions by the thinnest of threads.
Things can change quickly in football. The past few days have demonstrated that and whenever these two meet again for the right to play Manchester City at Wembley what happened last night will be ­irrelevant.
United, though, perhaps briefly, have lost that effortless sense of poise, that expectation of victory from a state of dominance.
And the way Chelsea came back from the dead to be in a position to thrust the blade in United’s FA Cup heart will perhaps give City hope the title race is not over either.
When Wayne Rooney’s free-kick sailed over and past everybody to put United two up inside 11 minutes, there was surely only one possible outcome.
The ghosts of that defeat by Real Madrid seemed to have been exorcised, Rooney marking his return in fitting style, the Bluessimply all over the place.
Benitez’s game-plan seemed out of the window, too, with the opening goal a defensive shocker, leaving fingers pointing in all directions.
Nothing, though, could detract from the quality of Michael Carrick’s angled ball, Hernandez’s run between Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta or the intelligence with which he headed over Petr Cech, caught in no-man’s land.
It was the Mexican’s seventh goal in nine games against Chelsea. Some record, and when United doubled their advantage it looked like a question of the scale of Sir Alex Ferguson’s triumph over his bitter foe.
A swift counter-attack, initiated by Rooney, was only ended when Victor Moses downed Nani on the left of the box.
Rooney took responsibility, floating the set-piece into the danger area and with David Luiz’s battle with Jonny Evans leaving the ball unmolested, it was past Cech before he could respond.
Chelsea have been there before, of course. Back in November they were two down after 12 minutes and level inside an hour only to fall apart late-on after two red cards.
Yesterday, though, a repeat looked even less likely, so open and exposed were Benitez’s team, the Spaniard still fuming about being blanked by the Scot before the start.
Frank Lampard shot weakly and Victor Moses, teased in by Juan Mata, managed to hit the corner flag.
United, though, were carving them apart. Cech repelled Rooney from Patrice Evra’s cross and then got up to prevent Luiz putting the rebound through his own net. Hernendez, too quick for Azpilicueta at the near post, stabbed a Nani delivery just wide.
But Benitez’s double change soon after the restart, Eden Hazard and John Obi Mikel replacing Lampard and Moses, bore instant fruit.
Mata, always available, came inside to feed Hazard and, with Rafael standing off, the Belgian picked out the far corner.
Momentum shift? Absolutely. Chelsea now monopolising possession, even the entry of Robin van Persie, Rooney pulling left, having no immediate impact.
And mid-way through the period, they were level with a terrific, swift and incisive counter, instigated by Luiz and involving Demba Ba and Oscar.
Even then, there was still plenty for Ramires to do, achieved superbly as the Brazilian stepped inside Evans and eased his left-footer into the bottom corner, despite David De Gea’s touch.
One-way traffic, Chelsea knocking ever louder on the door, United, having been in total command, now all at sea.
Mata, superb, twisted his ankle as he stepped inside ­Rio Ferdinand and then fired too close to De Gea. Torres, on for Ba, lacked conviction with his first chance.
Then, as the game entered stoppage time, the opening they craved after Luiz won the ball and clipped to the back post. Mata juggled past Evans and picked his spot, only for De Gea’s outstretched and leading right foot to divert the ball behind.
Still more chances. Fernando Torres – should we be surprised? – squandered the first before De Gea, saved superbly from Hazard and grasping another effort from the Belgian.
Torres was also involved in an off-the-ball clash with Ferdinand which may be probed by the FA.
But a good day for Rafa, after all. And it might even have been better.
United may start to harbour a few inner worries. Surely they can’t throw it all away again?

How they rated:
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea 7; Rafael 6, Ferdinand 7, Evans 5, Evra 6; Carrick 6, Cleverley 5; Kagawa 5 (Welbeck, 76, 6), Rooney 6, Nani 6 (Valencia, 45, 5); Hernandez 7 (Van Persie, 63, 5)
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech 7; Azpilicueta 6, Cahill 5, Luiz 6, Cole 6; Ramires 7, Lampard 6 (Mikel, 53, 8); Moses 6 (Hazard, 53, 8), Mata 9, Oscar 6; Ba 5 (Torres, 77, 5)
Referee: Howard Webb
Man of the match: Mata refused to give up the ghost

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Sun:
Shaun Custis

JUAN MATA goes by the nickname of ‘Johnny Kills’.
And but for a brilliant save at the death by fellow Spaniard David De Gea, Mata would have buried United and crowned an astonishing Chelsea comeback.
At half-time no one would have thought Alex Ferguson’s side would be hanging on to get a replay.
United were in cruise control and 2-0 up against a woeful Blues thanks to goals by Javier Hernandez on five minutes and Wayne Rooney after 11.
Questions were once again being asked whether interim boss Rafa Benitez would survive until the end of the season and there was no way you could see Chelsea getting back into it.
They looked a tired, bedraggled outfit, no doubt ready to trot out excuses about having not got back from their Europa League game in Bucharest until the early hours of Friday morning.
When Benitez took off captain Frank Lampard and Victor Moses to bring on Mikel and Eden Hazard early in the second half, the visiting fans went for their hated manager big-style.
‘You don’t know what you’re doing,’ they sang, followed by ‘Rafa Benitez we don’t want you here.’
Lampard did not look too impressed by the decision and applauded his fans but the introduction of Hazard turned out to be inspired.
The £32million Belgian got Chelsea on to the front foot, took the game to the opposition and suddenly United were wobbling. Hazard brought the game to life by curling in a cracker beyond De Gea to reduce the arrears on 59 minutes. And nine minutes later they were level.
David Luiz nicked the ball ahead of Rooney, Demba Ba took it on and fed Oscar who picked out fellow Brazilian Ramires.
There was still plenty to do but Ramires darted to his left and his shot sneaked in via the hand of the diving De Gea.
Chelsea kept up their relentless pressure and Fergie admitted United were lucky to stay in the Cup.
After being knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid last Tuesday, it would have been a desperate end to the week had they gone out of another competition.
The boss reckoned they ran out of legs but they looked more mentally shattered than anything else.
It had all begun so well. United were in front when Michael Carrick’s magnificent ball picked out Hernandez and the Mexican striker’s header was a beauty over stranded keeper Petr Cech.
It was a 16th goal of the season for the Little Pea in only his 18th start and underlined just how valuable he is at Old Trafford even though he is not a first choice.
You would have put your house on Rooney getting a goal in the wake of the debate about his omission from the Real game.
And as soon as Moses fouled Nani, Rooney stepped up for the free-kick.
He arrowed the ball towards the far post and it bounced between five Chelsea defenders and into the net. Rooney looked a tad embarrassed but milked it all the same. The visitors were so bad it felt like it was over there and then.
Hernandez was just wide from Nani’s cross then Rooney shot at Cech from Patrice Evra’s cross.
When the ball came back out, Luiz headed back towards his own goal and Cech did well to tip it over.
England boss Roy Hodgson watching on must have been having palpitations at the thought of Gary Cahill playing in his defence in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
By contrast Rio Ferdinand, a man he has consistently ignored, was commanding at the other end.
When Chelsea did find a way through, Moses sliced a good chance so far wide it hit the corner flag, to much hilarity.
Back in defence, Luiz hacked a ball high into the sky virtually out of Cech’s hands. United lost Nani — this time through injury rather than a sending off — and in his absence his team again lost their way.
Mata got a firm grip on the midfield and it was all United could do just to clear their lines.
Hazard found space and Oscar, who has struggled to justify his £24m tag, upped his own game.
Fergie was asked about Benitez’s position at Chelsea in the pre-match Press conference and joked he would not kick a man when he was lying down.
But it was Fergie who got the kicking as Hazard and Ramires scored and Ferdinand clashed with sub Fernando Torres before Mata almost won it — De Gea saving superbly with his foot.
Manchester City await the winners of the replay. United are just grateful still to be in it.

DREAM TEAM STAR MAN — JUAN MATA (Chelsea)

MAN UTD: De Gea 7, Rafael 5, Evans 6, Ferdinand 7, Evra 5, Carrick 8, Cleverley 5, Nani 7 (Valencia 5), Kagawa 6 (Welbeck 6), Rooney 5, Hernandez 7 (Van Persie 6). Subs not used: Amos, Anderson, Vidic, Young.

CHELSEA: Cech 5, Azpilicueta 6, Luiz 6, Cahill 5, Cole 6, Ramires 7, Lampard 5 (Mikel 7), Moses 5 (Hazard 8) Mata 9, Oscar 7, Ba 5 (Torres 5). Subs not used: Turnbull, Ivanovic, Terry, Bertrand. Booked: Azpilicueta, Luiz, Hazard.
REF: H Webb 7

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Express:

Manchester United 2 - Chelsea 2: Rafa has the last word this time
RAFAEL BENITEZ added a smug smile of satisfaction to his renowned thick skin after turning this extraordinary FA Cup tie on its head.

Richard Tanner

Rarely does a manager receive abuse from both sets of fans, but that was the lot of the beleaguered Benitez after 52 minutes when Chelsea were 2-0 down and he took off crowd favourite Frank Lampard and Victor Moses.
Chelsea followers cried “you don’t know what you’re doing” while their Manchester United counterparts, recalling his “facts rant” during his time at Liverpool, taunted him with “Rafa’s cracking up”.
But Benitez rammed their words back down their throats when the two men he sent on, Eden Hazard and, to a lesser extent John Obi Mikel, changed the course of the game and earned a replay.
In the end only a brilliant last- minute save by David De Gea from Juan Mata denied Chelsea a memorable win and prevented United from crashing out of a second competition in a week.
Certainly, the emotional and physical exertions of their roller-coaster Champions League exit to Real Madrid took its toll in the second half when they ran out of legs. Ferguson had made four changes, while Chelsea made five after their long Europa League trip to Bucharest, but the Londoners finished the stronger team.
Whatever the problems are at Stamford Bridge and the lack of support for their manager, the spirit of the players appears strong, underlined by the way they came back from conceding two goals in the opening 11 minutes. There was a time when these two teams used to slug out tense, cautious affairs, but not any more. Their last five encounters have seen them share an astonishing 28 goals.
Striker Javier Hernandez loves playing against Chelsea and he justified his inclusion in place of Robin van Persie by putting United in front after only five minutes. Michael Carrick’s lofted diagonal pass left keeper Petr Cech and Gary Cahill stranded and Hernandez had the presence of mind and skill to send a superb looping header into the far corner from a tight angle. Wayne Rooney also marked his recall with the second goal, though his strike was rather more fortuitous.
His curling free-kick should have been headed clear by either David Luiz or Demba Ba, but Jonny Evans’ presence appeared to put both of them off, the ball eluded everyone and crept in at the far post.
Chelsea dusted themselves down and came into the game towards half-time. Moses should have pulled one back, but after making space for himself sliced his shot embarrassingly wide.
But Benitez rammed their words back down their throats...
Just before the break, Nani’s nightmare week was completed when he limped off with a hamstring injury, but United ended the half well on top when Rooney dropped an audacious chip on to the top of the net.
There was a discernible improvement in Chelsea in the second half, especially when Hazard was introduced. Ramires had already burst through and shot wide when he should have got his effort on target, but Hazard scored within seven minutes of coming on. He received Mata’s pass on the edge of the penalty area and as Rafael stood off, he curled a shot into the far corner.
Ferguson was sufficiently alarmed to send on the cavalry in the shape of Van Persie for Hernandez.
But it didn’t stop Chelsea from equalising after 68 minutes, following a superb breakaway sparked by Luiz intercepting Van Persie’s intended pass to Rooney. Luiz charged out of defence and Ba, then Oscar were involved before the overlapping Ramires curled his shot past De Gea.
Danny Welbeck came on for Shinji Kagawa, but United had tired badly, their passing accuracy suffered and there looked only one winner.
Rio Ferdinand was lucky none of the officials spotted him knocking sub Fernando Torres to the ground in a fit of frustration off the ball. But United’s biggest let-off came in the last minute when De Gea produced a brilliant save with his outstretched right boot to prevent man of the match Mata from grabbing the winner.
It was no great surprise that Benitez didn’t shake hands with old foe Ferguson or share a glass of wine afterwards. But there was no mistaking who was the happier manager.

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Star:

MAN UTD 2 - CHELSEA 2: TREBLE TO TROUBLE

Dave Woods

FIVE days ago we were talking of a treble – now it is a tremble!
On Tuesday they lost a 1-0 lead to crash 2-1, and 3-2 on aggregate, to Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Yesterday Sir Alex Ferguson’s men blew a 2-0 lead, in place by the 11th minute, in this FA Cup quarter-final.
And they only held on by the skin of their teeth – or rather the tip of keeper David De Gea’s boot.
They remain 12 points clear of Man City in the league but their big rivals will have gleaned some hope from the frailties shown at Old Traffrord in the last two games.
Against Madrid, there was the excuse of Nani’s dismissal in the 56th minute to explain their collapse.
Yesterday, Nani again went off again – with a thigh injury just before half-time – and they fell away again, although the loss of the winger could not have been that much of a handicap.
His replacement, Antonia Valencia, certainly did not have the impact of Chelsea’s 52nd-minute substitute Eden Hazard.
The playmaker scored the Cup holders’ first and – in tandem with the excellent Juan Mata – was at the heart of the Blues highly-creative second-half.
Boss Rafa Benitez also deserves credit for withdrawing the ineffective Victor Moses and out-of-sorts Frank Lampard, with Hazard and John Obi Mikel’s introduction sparking the west Londoners’ lift-off.
England boss Roy Hodgson was at Old Trafford and would have been impressed by the wonderful reverse pass from Michael Carrick, which picked out the run of Javier Hernandez in the fifth minute.
Drifting away from Gary Cahill, the Mexican saw Petr Cech hesitate as he came off his line and brilliantly lifted a header over the keeper and high into the net.
It was the sixth time in seven encounters with the Blues that Hernandez had scored against them.
Cech did no better in the 11th minute when a Wayne Rooney free-kick from the left – which was meant as a cross – possibly got the slightest of touches as Jonny Evans jumped with David Luiz before drifting to the left of the keeper and in. Evans, though, did not claim it.
It was a big boost for Rooney, albeit a lucky one, after a difficult week for the Old Trafford superstar which had seen him left out of the team who crashed out to Real on Tuesday.
In truth, though, the overweight-looking Rooney did shine yesterday.
In the 22nd minute, Chelsea had a great chance to hit back when Mata burst through the United backline.
As the Spaniard squared for Lampard, a goal looked on but all his skipper could do was curl a weak shot straight into De Gea’s hands,
Soon after, a cracking cross from Nani was flicked just the wrong side of the near post by Hernandez. Patrice Evra then produced a similarly excellent ball, this time from the left, which Rooney connected well with.
But Cech pushed the striker’s side-footed effort into the air and then had to react sharply as David Luiz unsuccessfully tried to head the ball over the bar, forcing his keeper to spring up and tip over.
Tom Cleverley then struck a fierce 25-yard drive into Cech’s midriff. And Ba was greedy, shooting from over 25 yards out with Moses and Oscar in support.
A clever back-heel from Mata put Oscar in with a sight of goal in the 39th minute but the Brazilian’s left-foot shot flew away from goal.
The arrival of substitutes Mikel and Hazard in place of Lampard and Moses did not please the travelling support – especially the withdrawal of the skipper. The abuse of Benitez intensified but in the 59th minute, Chelsea were back in it thanks to one of those subs.
Cutting from right to left, Mata picked out Hazard just outside the box and the Belgium ace bent a superb shot around De Gea and into the top corner.
There was no delight from Benitez, just a word into the ear of Ashley Cole. He did celebrate briefly, though, in the 68th minute when his men equalised.
Ba picked out Oscar and he quickly spotted Ramires to his right in a great position. The Brazilian then thrust into the box, cut back – deceiving Evans in the process – and stroked past De Gea into the bottom corner.
In the 90th minute, Benitez was almost celebrating a superb winner from Mata but De Gea kept out the Spaniard’s left-foot shot with the tip of his boot.
Substitute Fernando Torres missed a great chance in stoppage time and De Gea parried a blast from Hazard, who also had a softer shot in the last piece of action.
There was no handshake between Benitez and Sir Alex Ferguson at the end.
But it was obvious who was the happier.