West Ham 2-0

Guardian:
Frank Lampard scores 200th Chelsea goal in win over West Ham
Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge

Frank Lampard's career is in its 18th year, his legs a little heavier than they once were and the opportunities eked out amid squad rotation, but his scriptwriters remain as sharp as ever. The veteran had been twitching nervously on the brink of a major landmark for a month, the flurry of goals that had propelled Chelsea through the winter suddenly choked. Then Eden Hazard clipped over a mouth-watering centre, West Ham's backline dawdled and the midfielder rose to convert his double-century.
There was a quick glance back over his shoulder at the linesman on the far side, the lack of a flag prompting a flash of relief, before the realisation dawned his timing was finally in. Those snarling among the away support would not agree, but it felt appropriate that goal No200 for Chelsea should be registered against the club who have loved to loathe Lampard ever since that acrimonious move down the District Line almost 12 years ago. It was not lost on the midfielder, who jogged across in front of the West Ham support to celebrate with his substitute and captain, John Terry, on the touchline.
The 34-year-old is a phenomenon, his tally remarkable for a midfielder who had arrived with little goalscoring pedigree of note. Bobby Tambling's club record of 202 will surely be eclipsed in the logjam of fixtures to come this term. "It is one of my best days," he admitted. "Obviously, winning the Champions League and championships are the best, but personally getting 200 goals for the club … I never thought I would touch that so I am pleased to get it. Everyone keeps talking about the goalscoring record, I would rather people kept quiet."
That much is wishful thinking. A record of 200 goals in 595 appearances demands praise, even if the away fans' reaction, perhaps predictably, was a hail of missiles in the player's direction. "When you score your 200th goal you don't think about where you go, you just celebrate," said Rafael Benítez, whose players were subsequently advised by the fourth official to warm up towards the other end of the pitch. "Afterwards, he realised it would be better to be in another part [of the ground]. But this is a fantastic achievement for any player, and particularly a midfielder."
The player himself stressed that "winning games" remains the priority, with a timely victory re-establishing Chelsea in third above Tottenham Hotspur and, even more critically, keeping fifth-placed Arsenal five points away. In truth, Hazard and Juan Mata illuminated the occasion, the pair irrepressible as the hosts purred and West Ham struggled to contain them throughout.
This would have been a rout had Jussi Jaaskelainen not reproduced his eye-catching form from the recent defeat to Spurs, the goalkeeper magnificent in keeping West Ham in vague contention even if the visitors' own forward line rarely threatened to make their own mark. Hazard's second, rasped into the corner just after the break once he had eased away from Winston Reid, effectively killed off the contest and was just reward for another outstanding display.
The Belgian was prolific in French football and might be so again in England, with this a season of adjustment to the Premier League. He could, of course, prove to be Lampard's immediate successor given there is still no new contract offer on the table for the veteran, and the last month has confirmed Hazard's jaw-dropping quality. The only frustration here was that neither the blur of attacking midfielders nor the lone forward, Demba Ba, could ensure the scoreline was a truer reflection of home dominance. The Senegalese, prolific to the tune of seven goals in 12 league games during a brief spell as a West Ham player two seasons ago, departed perplexed that he had not added heavily to his personal tally with Chelsea.
He had skewed his first opportunity horribly wide having been liberated by Lampard's clever pass, with Jaaskelainen twice denying him from point-blank range just before the break. Indecision and uncertainty had taken over before the end, the decision-making all muddled, with the Fernando Torres bug clearly biting. Others in the ranks boast more bite at present, even if they benefited from West Ham's gumminess. Andy Carroll had a goal disallowed for a push on David Luiz and Petr Cech denied Carlton Cole, but that was as close as they came.
"It was a tough afternoon, but sometimes you can't defend against the quality the opposition have," said Sam Allardyce. His own team's pursuit of 39 points and safety is on-going. For Lampard, his double century complete, a club record edges ever closer.
Man of the match Eden Hazard (Chelsea)


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Independent:

Chelsea 2 West Ham United 0
Milestone moment stirs up a storm for West Ham
Kevin Garside

It had to be Frank Lampard, his 200th goal for Chelsea coming against his boyhood club. There were fairytale displays too by Eden Hazard and Juan Mata, two players operating on a level way beyond the capabilities of West Ham, who are once more looking over their shoulder at the gathering storm just six points below.
Lampard deserved better than the boneheaded response of the West Ham fans and the lack of resistance from the players in claret and blue, which rendered proper measurement of Chelsea’s performance impossible. They work harder at Cobham.
Perhaps West ham set down their weapons in salute to a player who left Upton Park for £11m 12 years ago. At least the result lifts Chelsea into third place above a faltering Tottenham, which is significant given Manchester City’s reluctance to nail down second.
The West Ham goal was a coconut shy for most of this contest. Chelsea might have reached double figures. Demba Ba should have had a hat-trick by half time. Jussi Jaaskelainen saved twice, once with a foot when Ba was clean through. The first chance Ba steered hopelessly wide. Matches can be too easy.
The lack of intensity did Chelsea more harm than good. West Ham held out for 18 minutes, thereafter the abacus was out in anticipation of a sack load. It was entirely the Hazard and Mata show, the pair linking luxuriously down the right. Hazard thought he had inked the score sheet first with a piledriver that was beaten away by Jaaskelainen. The ball was quickly worked back to Hazard, who picked out Lampard to head home.
Time, we know, is rushing by for Lampard. Even so it seems madness of Chelsea not to tie him down to at least one more year given the speculation linking him to David Beckham’s former club LA Galaxy.
While Hazard and Mata flicked and feinted about Stamford Bridge, and Ramires chugged up and down, Lampard laced the play with his unerring passes and some cute interceptions. And for all their invention, Hazard and Mata don’t always know when to pull the trigger. That is not a failing that can be attributed to Lampard, a midfielder with a striker’s awareness of goal. The default long ball to Andy Carroll seems to be West Ham’s only ploy but brings neither the best from West Ham nor the player. They do not have the resources to trouble Chelsea, but West Ham do have an identity to defend and promote, which condemns this template out of hand.
Carroll had the ball in the net two minutes after Lampard. It was chalked off for raised hands, which David Luiz made the most of in the Chelsea box. There was a header late on that Carroll might have done better with and another from substitute Carlton Cole. Mo Diamé had a shot blocked by Ramires and that was more or less that.
“I’m disappointed for Andy because he played well but doesn’t have a goal to show for it. He’s a handful. I’m just disappointed he didn’t score at the end of it,” manager Sam Allardyce said. “If he keeps shooting and getting in the right positions, the goals will come.
“But I want them to come against West Brom, next time we play. We’re running out of games for Andy to start scoring. Let’s hope he gets a few between now and the end of the season.”
Of the Luiz incident Allardyce added: “Technically, it was a foul. But I could show you about four outside the box he didn’t give today. I thought it was a brilliant dive from David Luiz, which bought him the foul. Mo Diamé had a really good chance, Carroll had another chance, and there were two headers from the far post. I’d have expected him to score at least one.
“Carlton Cole might have sneaked one as well. If we’d scored that, it might have been interesting. But to ask a newly promoted team tobeat a top four team twice is a pretty big ask.
It would have been utterly undeserved, too. Chelsea continued to create chance after chance before Hazard added a second five minutes after the break. It was another wondrous exchange with Mata that sent him through for a stiff finish with his left foot.  “It was a tough afternoon,” admitted Allardyce. “Mata and Hazard were both outstanding. I’d like to have seen us defending better, but sometimes you have to admire the talent.
“Sometimes you can’t defend the quality they’ve got. This year, away from home, scoring has been a massive problem for us. Not so much creating the chances, but scoring them. Today, apart from the one we had disallowed, we had enough opportunities and should have scored at least one.”
Defeat cuts the comfort zone protecting West Ham from the bottom three to six points. Allardyce says concern is natural but hopefully it will turn out to be a wasted emotion. He has set his team a target of six points from the remaining nine games, not straight forward given the last nine matches have yielded only seven.
“I’m always worried until we’re mathematically safe. You never stop worrying. You’re always looking at what could happen. But my belief in our home record is that it’ll be good enough for us to get safe. It’s about us getting to 39 points. That’s our concern. Get 39 points and you’re all right. It doesn’t matter what the others do.”


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Telegraph:

Police investigate as missile hits Chelsea defender John Terry during 2-0 victory over West Ham United
Paul Kelso

One of the crowning moments of Frank Lampard’s career collided with bad blood from his formative years as his 200th Chelsea goal was met with a hail of missiles from West Ham fans at Stamford Bridge.
Substitute John Terry is understood to have been hit by a coin thrown from the section of the Shed End housing visiting supporters after former West Ham player Lampard scored the opening goal in an ultimately comfortable Chelsea win.
Missiles including drinks bottles, coins and other objects were hurled towards the Chelseaplayers as they celebrated, and the incident could yet lead to an FA charge if it is reported by referee Michael Oliver.
The Metropolitan Police last night confirmed they were investigating incidents of coin throwing, and officers were studying CCTV pictures to identify those responsible. No supporters were ejected or arrested but the investigation will continue.
Eden Hazard marked a superb performance with the second goal, and victory moves Rafael Benitez’s side to third in the table, above a faltering Tottenham and within four points of Manchester City.
The fluent performance capped a fine week for Rafael Benítez that also saw his come back from 2-0 down to draw at Manchester United in the FA Cup, and progress to the Europa League quarter-finals.
Domestic issues and local feuds dominated events at Stamford Bridge however, as West Hamfans reacted to the mildest of provocation from Terry and had their jeers rammed back at them by Lampard.
Even before the goal Terry, a substitute, had been targeted by coins and missiles from the visiting supporters as he chose to warm up in front of them.
Terry had again relegated to the bench by Benítez for a Premier League game but he still managed to find his way to the heart of the game’s pivotal moment.
When Gary Cahill went down injured in the 17th minute Terry was off the bench to warm up with rare haste. With the assistant referee running the line at the Matthew Harding Stand end he headed in the direction of the away supporters.
Not one to shrink from a challenge he eyeballed the West Ham supporters abusing him and proceeded to perform a series of pointed exercises. He mimicked raising a trophy several times, and then turned to touch his toes leavings his backside pointing at the visitors.
While this pantomime was playing out Terry’s team-mates were concocting a far greater act of provocation. Hazard’s shot was beaten out by Jussi Jaaskelainen as far as Victor Moses, who returned the ball to the Belgian to cross for Lampard, unmarked, to nod the ball home.
The former West Ham player was not about to let the moment of his 200th goal pass uncelebrated and as he ran towards the West Ham fans to celebrate he was met by Terry, galloping back down the touchline to join in.
“I wasn’t hit by anything,” Lampard said. “I went quite close to the West Ham fans but that was the natural curve of my run.” As the game restarted Terry stopped to pick up several coins, and turned to display them to the travelling fans. Point made, though not to the satisfaction of fourth official Howard Webb, who instructed substitutes from both sides to warm up at the other end thereafter.
A West Ham spokesman said that anyone found to have thrown coins could be banned by the club.
“West Ham will be working with Chelsea to investigate the incidents of missiles throwing. Any individual found to have acted in an inappropriate way will have to face the consequences including the possibility of being banned from future matches.”
As the home club responsible for controlling supporters Chelsea could also be charged. They were fined £30,000 in 2005 after Matjai Kezman was struck by a coin thrown by a West Ham fan.
Benítez praised Lampard for his “fantastic achievement”, but acknowledged that he could have celebrated in a safer corner of the ground.
“When you score 200 goals, you don’t really think about where you go,” Benítez said.
The antagonism was a distraction from a sumptuous performance from Chelsea. A fine Hazard pass created the first for Lampard, whose characteristic late run took bought him time and space to finish.
Hazard’s goal was just as well-crafted. Starting on the right touchline he played a one-two with Juan Mata, brought down the return pass on his chest at pace and stepped inside two covering defenders before crashing his left-foot shot past Jussi Jaaskelaninen in the West Ham goal.
While Benítez goes into the international break hoping his players get some rest and return refreshed, Allardyce was left fretting with his side only six points clear of the relegation zone.
“I’m always worried until we’re mathematically safe,” he said. “My belief in our home record is that it’ll be good enough for us to get safe.”

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Mail:

Chelsea 2 West Ham 0: Lampard joins the 200 club to help Benitez's boys into third

By NEIL ASHTON

Just as John Terry sprinted on to the turf at Stamford Bridge as a 78th-minute substitute, the moment of genuine class arrived.
Frank Lampard, serenaded by Chelsea supporters throughout the second half after scoring his 200th goal for the club, turned to Terry and held out the captain’s armband.
It was symbolic, touching the hearts and minds of the 40,000 supporters who have lived the dream with this celebrated Chelsea pair over the years.
Terry, playing in his first Barclays Premier League game at the Bridge since injuring his right knee against Liverpool on November 11, declined. It was Lampard’s day again.
Together they have won the Champions League, three Barclays Premier League titles and four FA Cups in the Roman Abramovich era. They know what it means to win, often dragging this team over the line in times of adversity.
Yesterday they were reunited on the edge of the centre circle, reaching out to each other even though their careers are filled with uncertainty.
Terry is the third-choice  central defender under Rafa Benitez, who rotated his squad for a routine victory over West Ham.
Lampard , who was pulled to one side last month and told he would be offered another year at the club he loves, is still waiting for Chelsea to crunch the numbers.
On the field it’s all adding up, especially after he arrived to direct Eden Hazard’s  tantalising cross beyond Hammers keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen in the 19th minute. To do it against the club who sold him to Chelsea for £11million in 2001 must have been really special.
He immediately headed for Terry, who was warming up — quite provocatively — in front of visiting supporters. They celebrated together, sharing a nostalgic trip down memory lane before Michael Oliver, the referee, ordered them to restart.
Lampard is just two goals behind record Chelsea scorer Bobby Tambling after 595 appearances.
‘It’s one of my best days, but winning the Champions League and the Premier League are the best,’ he said.
‘To get to 200 goals, a record I never thought I would get near, means so much. Everyone keeps talking about the record but I would rather people kept quiet. The important thing is to score goals to win games.
‘We are in good form and there is a good feeling about the place and we need to carry it on until the end of the season.’
At 34, Lampard still has a magnificent engine, running the show in the first half as Hazard and Juan Mata provided the sweetest of touches on either wing.
The midfield trio excelled,  sparking off each other as Chelsea prepare to challenge champions Manchester City for second place.
Suddenly it all seems possible, with Benitez’s brief to finish in the top four becoming a bit more realistic after an impressive victory.
It’s been a good week for Benitez, with something stirring after that memorable comeback in the FA Cup against Manchester United.
Chelsea are a team again,  shrugging off the troubles which characterise just about any season at this club. At times they were outstanding, picking West Ham off in a breathtaking opening spell.
Hammers fans are unhappy, with cries of ‘Paolo Di Canio’ surfacing at the end of the first half. They weren’t so bad, with Andy Carroll providing some muscular help for Matt Jarvis and Ricardo Vaz Te.
Petr Cech, reliable in Chelsea’s goal again, got down well to save efforts from Mo Diame and substitute Carlton Cole. Carroll should have scored a consolation, of sorts, in the final minute. Chelsea had scored a second just after the break.
Hammers captain Winston Reid was a tormented soul by the end, turned inside out by the runs of Hazard, Mata and Victor Moses.
This time it was Hazard, starting and finishing the move when he lost Reid before clipping his effort inside Jaaskelainen’s post.
‘They had the game’s outstanding players and we didn’t do enough to stop them,’ said Allardyce. ‘Mata and Hazard are a handful, but we should have done a lot better.’
It turned into a face-saving exercise for West Ham but Chelsea push on for a bigger prize. The FA Cup and Europa League are twin targets but the top four is the minimum requirement for Benitez. To do it, he will rely on his captain.

Chelsea: Cech, Azpilicueta, Luiz (Terry, 78), Cahill, Cole, Ramires, Lampard, Mata (Mikel 85), Moses (Oscar, 70), Hazard, Ba

Subs not used: Turnbull, Ivanovic, Terry, Bertrand, Torres

Goals: Lampard 19, Hazard 50

West Ham: Jaaskelainen, Reid, O'Brien, Collins (Tomkins, 61), Demel, Jarvis, Collison, Diame (Taylor, 46), O'Neil, Carroll, Vaz Te (Cole, 80)

Subs not used: Speigel, McCartney, Pogatetz, Chamakh

Booked: Reid, Demel

Referee: Michael Oliver
Att: 41639

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Mirror:

Chelsea 2-0 West Ham: Frank Lampard closes in on goal record after reaching double century
Martin Lipton

They sang in honour of their hero, a landmark moment that was written in the stars.
If Frank Lampard was going to score his 200th Chelsea goal, it was surely destined to come against West Ham, the perfect revenge for 12 years of ritual abuse from Hammers fans.
As Lampard rose to head past Jussi Jaaskelainen at Stamford Bridge and move within two goals of Bobby Tambling’s club record, nobody could deny him the moment, or the response to more than a decade of invective, ignoring the missiles that rained down on him.
But with no concrete contract offer on the table, and less than three months left on his current deal, Lampard is aware that the changing of the guard is coming, that he is set to exit the scene, leaving only memories.
Within an hour of the final whistle, it was being reported in the USA that Lampard had been close to signing a deal with Los Angeles Galaxy last week. It looks like end-game.
And it was equally fitting that the source of the goal that gave Lampard what he wanted was the man who could replace him in cult idol status.
Eden Hazard may have taken a while to really come to terms with English football but now he is finding his feet the scale of his talent is becoming evident.
Yesterday, to the delight of Rafa Benitez and angst of Sam Allardyce, Hazard simply took West Ham to the cleaners as Chelsea made full toll of Spurs’ Fulham car-crash.
Hazard was simply mesmerising, his link-up with the equally fleet-footed Juan Mata exhilarating as Chelsea produced arguably their best 90-minute performance since Roberto Di Matteo was axed.
West Ham had no answers and quite how this wasn’t over and done with by the break was hard to believe as Hazard illuminated the afternoon.
Then again, maybe it’s Chelsea, or Stamford Bridge, becoming a Bermuda Triangle for strikers - they end up in SW6 and forget everything that earned them the move in the first place.
Demba Ba’s stock with the Blues fans has risen in the past three months in direct relation to the stick ladled out to Fernando Torres, even though the Senegalese has only scored four since his £7million move.
Yet he had enough chances to double that tally in the first half alone - either side of Lampard’s piece of club history - and could not take any of them.
The worst miss came at the start, just seven minutes in, as Lampard’s first-time ball put Ba in behind James Collins, the goal at his mercy.
Ba, though, did not so much miss the target as almost miss the six-yard box, an absolute horror-show.
Enter Lampard, all alone seven yards out, planting Hazard’s delightful cross beyond the groping fingers of Jussi Jasskelainen, the coins that had been hurled at the warming-up John Terry seconds earlier now aimed at him.
When that quietened down, it did not get any better for Ba, two shots in a minute before the break far too close to the keeper when he should have done much better.
Fortunately for Chelsea, they did not matter, such was their total dominance.
Andy Carroll had an “equaliser” chalked off for a shove on David Luiz and Mohamed Diame was blocked by Ramires.
Those aside, though, it was a coconut shy, orchestrated by the brilliance of Hazard and Mata.
Jaaskelainen saved well from Luiz, who then thrashed a spectacular volley into the side-netting, with the Hammers keeper relieved to see efforts from Victor Moses and Mata flash narrowly wide.
But five minutes after the break, West Ham were undone again by the sheer brilliance of Hazard, who got the goal his dazzling display deserved.
The Belgian looked boxed-in on the right flank but a superb exchange with Mata was followed by a burst of pace past Winston Reid before Hazard’s left-footer found the bottom corner.
Game over? Absolutely, although Allardyce was probably relieved Chelsea did not take the chances that came their way, Mata and Ba among those failing to make the most of opportunities.
By the end, with a knock for Luiz allowing Terry his first home league outing since November, Chelsea were rampant.
Carlton Cole might have nudged one in - Petr Cech made a reaction stop - but Lampard, of all people, spooned over from eight yards.
The record will have to wait, for a couple of weeks. But for once Benitez avoided the normal chorus of disdain. It’s been a good week for him and Chelsea.

How they rated
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech 7; Azpilicueta 7, Cahill 6, Luiz 8 (Terry, 78, 6), Cole 7; Ramires 7, Lampard 7; Moses 6 (Oscar, 70, 6), Mata 8 (Mikel, 86, 6), Hazard 9; Ba 5
West Ham (4-5-1): Jaaskelainen 7; Demel 6, Collins 5 (Tomkins, 61, 6), Reid 6, O’Brien 5; Vaz Te 5 (C Coole, 80, 5), Collison 6, O’Neil 6, Diame 6 (Taylor, 46, 5), Jarvis 7; Carroll 6
Referee: Michael Oliver
Man of the Match: Hazard - quite magnificent


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Sun:

EDEN HAZARD’S warning lights are flashing very brightly indeed.
Shaun Custis

All the signs are that Chelsea’s £32million Belgian is right back up to speed with English football.
After an impressive start to his Blues career, the winger went through a dip in form, but he ran the show as his side went third in the table and put the heat on Manchester City above them.
Frank Lampard took the headlines for his 200th Chelsea goal — and one against his former club to boot.
But Hazard was the stand-out performer, creating that opener and scoring a magnificent second.
It has been quite a week for Chelsea.
At half-time last Sunday it looked like their season was fizzling out when they were 2-0 down to Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-final.
Their fans were ripping into their interim boss singing “Rafa Benitez we don’t want you here” and “You don’t know what you’re doing”.
But there followed a fantastic comeback to force a draw and earn a replay.
They then overturned a first-leg deficit against Steaua Bucharest to reach the last eight of the Europa League.
And this was a comprehensive victory.
Chelsea fans may never accept Benitez. But they have learned that it is a pointless exercise making their feelings known during the game and creating a poisonous atmosphere.
There was not a murmur against him yesterday.
Benitez is disparagingly referred to as ‘a fat Spanish waiter’ but he is serving up some top-class cuisine for the Stamford Bridge faithful.
Blues could finish second and win two trophies... and goodness knows how the supporters will deal with that.
As for West Ham, they are not out of the relegation woods yet.
Wigan’s success against Newcastle has pulled them nearer to the dogfight but they have games coming up against the likes of West Brom, Southampton and Wigan which are all winnable.
Chelsea really should have had this done and dusted by half-time.
Chance after chance went begging and former Hammers striker Demba Ba was having the sort of afternoon which you usually associate with Fernando Torres.
Three times Ba got free on goal and failed with each attempt.
His first was a shocker. He did well to time his run to take Lampard’s pass and get away from James Collins. But, as Jussi Jaaskelainen came out, Ba seemed to panic and his right-footer was well wide.
He had another effort which was easily saved by the visitors’ keeper and just before the break the Finn blocked with his outstretched left foot when Ba ought to have done better.
At least Blues did have one goal on the board by then courtesy of Lampard.
The prelude to the midfielder’s header was West Ham fans giving sub John Terry non-stop verbals down by the corner flag.
Terry responded with some back-chat, turned to wiggle his backside in their direction in the guise of warming up then got showered with coins and plastic bottles.
He picked some of the coins up as if lifting a trophy just to irritate them even more.
And how he loved it when, after Hazard’s shot was pushed out by Jaaskelainen, the Belgian clipped the ball back in to the box and Lampard rose unmarked to head in on 19 minutes.
The midfielder who has been getting dog’s abuse from West Ham supporters for 12 years since leaving the East London club, absolutely milked it.
Lamps ran off towards Terry and those fans who hate him slapping the Chelsea badge in triumph.
David Luiz nearly made it two with a low free-kick around the wall which Jaaskelainen pushed past the post.
Victor Moses also turned and hit a right foot shot wide, Juan Mata was close with a 20-yard curler and Luiz’s volley hit the side-netting.
Somehow West Ham were still in it at the break although Andy Carroll had had one disallowed for pushing Luiz in the back before shooting past Petr Cech.
Had Ramires not got in a superb tackle to halt Mohamed Diame’s run, they might have gone in all square. Instead, Chelsea doubled their lead five minutes into the second half.
The outstanding Hazard ghosted in from the right, took a return from Mata and skipped past Winston Reid before firing left-footed beyond Jaaskelainen.
Mata and Hazard were almost telepathic, passing West Ham to death.
Mata was unlucky not to score when Jaaskelainen denied him and it was a struggle for the visitors to get out of their own half.
Reid got so fed up with Mata it was inevitable when he got booked for hauling pulling back the Spaniard.
Then a Lampard free-kick was deflected and Jaaskelainen held on. And Ba’s day did not get any better after he went on another run pursued by Reid but shot wide.
Lampard, too, showed that he was fallible by skying an attempt high over the bar from eight yards.
West Ham offered little threat but Carroll held the ball up well up front and twice headed over as Sam Allardyce’s side tried to get themselves back in it.
Sub Carlton Cole also poked out a leg late on to meet Matt Jarvis’ cross only for Cech to hold on.
But, when Chelsea are in this mood, they are capable of beating anybody.
Viva Rafa!

DREAM TEAM
SUN STAR MAN — EDEN HAZARD (CHELSEA)

CHELSEA: Cech 6, Azpilicueta 5, Cahill 6, Luiz 7 (Terry 5), Cole 6, Ramires 6, Lampard 7, Moses 6 (Oscar 5), Mata 7 (Mikel 5), Hazard 8, Ba 5. Subs not used: Turnbull, Ivanovic, Torres, Bertrand.
WEST HAM: Jaaskelainen 6, Demel 5, Collins 6 (Tomkins 6), Reid 6, O’Brien 5, O’Neil 5, Diame 5 (Taylor 5), Collison 6, Jarvis 6, Vaz Te 5 (C Cole 5), Carroll 6. Subs not used: Spiegel, McCartney, Pogatez, Chamakh. Booked: Reid, Demel.
REF: M Oliver 6

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Express:

Chelsea 2 - West Ham 0: For the record, Frank's on song

FRANK LAMPARD has always had a knack for scoring on the big occasion, for making his mark at just the right moment. He was at it again yesterday.

Tony Banks

Lampard is on the verge of becoming Chelsea's all-time leading scorer
A trademark run into the penalty area, an almost instinctive drift into space and there he was, leaping to nod Eden Hazard’s lovely chip over Jussi Jaaskelainen into the net.
Typical Lampard. A moment we have seen so often over the 18 years of his career.
This though was history. His 200th goal for Chelsea, making him the second-highest scorer in the club’s history. Two behind Bobby Tambling, a mark that he will surely pass in the last nine weeks of the season.
Lampard, 34, still in talks with the club about a new deal though looking likelier now to be playing his football in the USA at LA Galaxy next year, said: “It is one of my best days. Obviously, winning the Champions League and league titles are the best, but personally getting 200 goals for the club, I never thought I would touch that so I am pleased.
“Everyone keeps talking about the record. I would rather people kept quiet. The important thing is trying to win games.”
Especially pleasing must have been the fact the goal came against his old club, whose fans have mercilessly baited him since he left Upton Park for Chelsea in 2001. But it was team-mate and substitute John Terry who the Hammers fans were mainly abusing yesterday, as he warmed up in front of them.
When Lampard instinctively went over to Terry to celebrate as if in support, a hail of coins and bottles showered them.
Chelsea could be in trouble if fourth official Howard Webb reports the incident. But it was not a moment that was going to overshadow Lampard’s big day, or for that matter, a superb performance from Hazard, which inspired Chelsea to a comfortable victory in a game they could and should have won by more.
With Tottenham losing as well, it was a result that went a long way to strengthening their hold on a top-four place.
Rafa Benitez was delighted with the performance and with a week which also saw his team progress in the Europa League, and earn an FA Cup quarter-final replay against Manchester United.
It has been a tough four months for the interim manager,but this last week has probably been the best. He said: “I’m really pleased with the performance and the clean sheet, and that Frank has scored 200 goals. A fantastic achievement for any player, but especially for a midfielder.”
The catalyst for a fine Chelsea performance was the effervescent Hazard, who has emerged from something of a mid-season slump to hit peak form at a very good time for his club.
He wrapped up the game with a fine second-half strike and Benitez said: “We never had any doubts about Eden’s quality. It was just about finding the relationship and link with the other players. He is a player who can make a difference.”
Chelsea dominated pretty much from start to finish. Demba Ba, in particular, could have had four goals, each time being put through one on one with Jaaskelainen, yet each time failing to score.
After Lampard broke the deadlock Andy Carroll, who battled up front for West Ham virtually on his own, got the ball in the net but was penalised for pushing.
It was as close to a goal as West Ham got all day, after yet another limp awayday show. Chelsea dominated and five minutes after half- time Hazard exchanged passes with Juan Mata and skipped past two challenges to drill his shot into the corner.
Hammers boss Sam Allardyce, his side now just six points above the drop zone, said: “I’m always worried until we’re mathematically safe. You never stop worrying.”

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech 7; Azpilicueta 7, Cahill 7, Luiz 7 (Terry 78, 6), Cole 7; Ramires 7, Lampard 7; Hazard 8, Mata 7 (Mikel 85), Moses 7 (Oscar 70, 6); Ba 7. Goals: Lampard 19, Hazard 50.

West Ham (4-4-1-1): Jaaskelainen 7; Demel 6, Collins 6 (Tomkins 61, 6), Reid 5, O’Brien 6; O’Neil 6, Collison 6, Diame 6 (Taylor 46, 6), Jarvis 6; Vaz Te 5 (Carlton Cole 80); Carroll 6. Booked: Reid, Demel.
Referee: M Oliver (Northumberland).

==================

Star:

Chelsea 2 - West Ham 0: John Terry's childish act steal's Lampard's limelight

Paul Brown

WEST HAM always seem to bring the best out of Frank Lampard – and the worst out of John Terry.
Lampard just loves scoring against his old club and hit another milestone with his latest strike against them, notching his 200th goal for Chelsea.
Every one of those has just served to underline what the Hammers have missed since he quit the club to join the Blues in an £11m transfer in 2001.
Lampard is now only two goals behind Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer Bobby Tambling – and missed enough chances yesterday to have broken that record.
As he celebrated his opener in front of the Hammers fans, he was pelted with missiles by a set of supporters who have never liked him.
Terry too is a former West Ham youth player – and it was partly his fault that things turned nasty in what turned out to be a tame District Line derby on the pitch.
The England defender always takes abuse from Hammers fans and never shies away from giving some back.
But this time he managed it before he even made it on to the pitch, responding to the usual taunts about his family by showing them his backside as he was warming up.
Then when Lampard scored he sprinted down the touchline to celebrate right in front of them, provoking the hail of objects which followed.
You’d think West Ham fans would keep quiet. But the usual chants about Terry’s mum and Lampard’s supposedly ballooning waistline just seemed to get the pair going.
Eden Hazard added insult to injury for the Hammers by hitting a second shortly after the break to take Chelsea back above Tottenham into third in the table.
As for the Hammers, they have now taken just one point from their last SEVEN visits to Stamford Bridge since they won here in 2002 with two goals from Paolo Di Canio. A happy hunting ground it is not.
West Ham should have been fresh after coming into the game following a two-week break. In that time, Chelsea had played three times, most recently in Thursday’s win over Steaua Bucharest in the Europa League.
The Blues are going to have to cope with the fatigue factor – and have a gruelling spell of six games in 16 days after the international break.
They looked anything but tired at the start of this match, though, roaring out of the blocks to put the visitors firmly on the back foot.
Benitez freshened things up by replacing Torres – who hit the winner against Steaua – with Demba Ba and also recalled Lampard, Gary Cahill and Victor Moses.
But Ba was responsible for a horrible miss with just six minutes gone as Ramires split the Hammers back four with a pinpoint through ball to put him clear.
It looked a certain goal but with only Jussi Jaaskelainen to beat, Ba laced his shot about a mile wide of the target.
When these two teams last met in December, Chelsea took the lead before falling apart in the second half to lose 3-1.
And the Blues opened the scoring again – but only after some real pantomime stuff from Terry and the Hammers fans.
The Chelsea defender rightly took exception to the unsavoury chants about his family. But the way he responded was provocative, childish and unnecessary.
So it was no surprise when the missiles rained down after Lampard headed home Hazard’s cross from the edge of the box.
The trouble was, the whole incident could so easily have been avoided – and it totally took the gloss off Lampard’s achievement.
The man has scored 12 Premier League goals this season alone, putting both Torres and Ba to shame. Those two only have nine league goals for Chelsea between them.
Ba continued to miss chances, with Jaaskelainen inspired in goal, while Andy Carroll had a strike ruled out at the other end for a clear push on David Luiz.
Chelsea were in complete control by the time Hazard made it two, cutting inside a feeble attempt at a tackle from Winston Reid to bury a low shot past Jaaskelainen in the 50th minute.
The Hammers barely threatened until seven minutes to go when substitute Carlton Cole stabbed a cross from Matt Jarvis goalwards – but Petr Cech got down well to hold on.
Lampard should have grabbed his second when Oscar picked him out with a cut-back eight yards from goal but he spooned his shot high over the bar.
In the end it did not matter as Chelsea held on for a comfortable win.
But this was a lifeless performance from West Ham, who are still not safe from the drop and must improve if they want to avoid a white-knuckle end to the campaign. 200th goal sparks ugly scenes at Bridge.

Steaua Bucharest 3-1

Independent:
Chelsea 3 Steaua Bucharest 1
Fernando Torres ends his drought to clear Chelsea's Europa path
Jack Pitt-Brooke

Rafael Benitez's hopes of finishing his Stamford Bridge tenure with a trophy were improved tonight as a Fernando Torres winner sent Chelsea through to the Europa League quarter-finals. On a notably positive night at the Bridge, Chelsea beat Steaua Bucharest 3-1, winning the tie 3-2, thanks to Torres' goal with 19 minutes left, although the struggling striker missed a penalty in the final minutes.
While Chelsea's early play was more patient than penetrative, Steaua pushed forward looking for a crucial away goal. Petr Cech had to make a sharp save from Raul Rusescu after John Terry had been dragged out of place and turned. Alexandru Bourceanu went close from distance and Chelsea were at risk of slipping behind before they started.
But the quality of their players paid off when Chelsea went 1-0 with a delightful goal after 33 minutes. Juan Mata had the ball in the middle of the pitch and drove forward, shuffling past tackles and passing to Ramires on the edge of the box. Mata continued his run, took the return pass, turned another defender and his shot was deflected through the goalkeeper's legs, onto the post and in.
When Chelsea are confident they can still play very well and six minutes later they nearly scored another excellent goal. Eden Hazard came in from the left, exchanged passes with Mata and – with little space – let off a shot which Ciprian Tatarusanu saved. It was slip-up they regretted in first-half added time when Steaua scored their crucial away goal. A corner fell to Cristian Tanase, whose shot was blocked by Petr Cech's legs, but it fell straight to Vlad Chiriches who fired it into the roof of the net, sending the Steaua players to half-time in celebration.
So Chelsea needed two second-half goals to progress, with no prospect of extra time. But as in the first half they struggled to find their rhythm early, despite the best efforts of Mata, who received a nasty kick to the ankle. Yet it was another Steaua foul which gave Chelsea the breakthrough.
Cornel Rapa lunged at Hazard, running down the left wing, and was deservedly booked. Mata swung in the free-kick and Terry rose highest – utterly unmarked – at the near post and headed powerfully past Tatarusanu. Steaua knew they might need a second away goal and so they attacked too, Tanase testing Cech from the edge of the box after a swift counter-attack.
But Steaua's pursuits made space for Chelsea and, with 19 minutes left, their quality told again. Mata cut in from the right and passed to Hazard, who flicked the ball to Torres behind him. The Spanish striker shuffled inside Lukasz Szukala and shot into the bottom corner.
This was a rare pleasure for Torres – he had not scored since January – but disappointment was to follow when he was denied a penalty after being tripped by Szukala in the box and then kicked in the face. Chelsea were eventually awarded a penalty for a foul on Hazard but Torres, still searching for unambiguous success, hit the bar.

Man of the match Mata.
Match rating 5/10.
Referee S Lannoy (Fr).
Attendance 28,817.

============

Guardian:

Fernando Torres strikes as Chelsea fight back to beat Steaua Bucharest
Paul Doyle at Stamford Bridge

Fernando Torres sniffed out the goal that kept Chelsea in Europe but was still left with his nose out of joint. A topsy-turvy outing for the Spaniard was the main feature of a match that ended in a victory that his club clearly craved but which could yet prove costly.
These are intriguing times at Stamford Bridge. Rafael Benítez understandably accentuated the positive after a night on which his team came from behind to beat an impressive Steaua Bucharest side and Torres ended an epic barren spell but still took a battering to both his nose and his confidence. Torres scored a fine goal in the 71st minute but then missed a late penalty.
Chelsea's progress to the quarter-finals of the Europa League condemns them to frantic cramming for the end of the campaign, with the FA Cup replay against Manchester United on 1 April meaning Chelsea must contest six matches in 16 days after next week's international break. That is sure to test the resilience and depth of the team that currently sits fourth in the Premier League as they strive to avert the ignominy of missing out on Champions League qualification.
"Top teams want to be in all competitions until the end," said an undaunted Benítez. "Since I came here I think we are playing around nine games each month. We knew it would be difficult but we have confidence in the players and hopefully we can manage well and progress in all of them."
The manager was similarly upbeat about Torres's penalty miss, claiming that the fact that the beleaguered striker felt like taking it was more significant than that his shot bounced back off the crossbar.
Last season Torres eschewed a spot kick at Birmingham when he was enduring a fruitless spell but this time, having scored to claim only his second goal of 2013 – the other was against Brentford in the FA Cup – he stepped up. "I am pleased that he took the responsibility more than he missed the penalty," said Benítez. "That is good for his confidence and for the future." The miss came moments after Torres's nose had been bloodied in a collision with the boot of Steaua's Lukasz Szukala.
Torres's confidence was bolstered by a goal that was sweetly taken and decisive. It came 19 minutes from time, when Eden Hazard deftly helped a Juan Mata pass on to Torres, who showed admirable sharpness to sidestep Szukala and fire into the far corner of the net from 10 yards. That completed a turnaround that was far from simple for Chelsea.
Benítez, whose quest for some silverware to show from his interim reign meant he was determined not to sacrifice this competition for the sake of the league, named a much stronger line-up than the one that started last week's 1-0 defeat in Bucharest, but their hopes of making an early breakthrough were thwarted by the relentless pressing of the dynamic visitors.
Steaua should have opened the scoring from their first attack, when Mikel John Obi was dispossessed midway inside his own half and John Terry failed to cut out a through-ball to Raul Rusescu, who scampered through on goal, only to be denied by Petr Cech's agility.
Chelsea finally forced Steaua's goalkeeper into action in the 16th minute, when Ciprian Tatarusanu comfortably collected a Mata free-kick. Steaua, increasingly confident as Chelsea struggled to match their energy, broke straight down the other end and Alexandru Bourceanu curled a 25-yard shot just wide. This was not a side that had come solely to cling on to their first-leg lead.
Hazard was Chelsea's chief early threat, constantly wriggling and probing for openings. In the 22nd minute he dribbled down the right before setting up that rarest of phenomena, a shot on target from Mikel. Tatarusanu repelled the Nigerian's 20-yard drive.
When Chelsea eventually raised their intensity, they got a goal. Oscar won the ball on halfway and slipped it through to Mata, who evaded one tackle before offloading to Ramires and darting into the box to take the return pass and slot the ball under Tatarusanu from 15 yards.
Chelsea looked to take charge. Torres fired wide from 16 yards and then Tatarusanu batted away a bullet from Hazard following lovely interplay between the Belgian and Mata.
But Chelsea knocked off early for half-time and Steaua punished them. A 45th-minute corner was poorly dealt with by Chelsea, with Torres and Ramires failing to get decisive touches at the near post, leaving Cristian Tanase to shoot from close range. Cech scrambled that effort off the line but Vlad Chiriches reacted first to slam the ball into the roof of the net for a potentially damaging away goal.
Benítez looked agitated on the sideline but apparently was not sufficiently alarmed to make substitutions at the interval. Steaua also opted to carry on as before and that looked wise as they enjoyed the better of the second half. It took a set piece in the 58th minute for Chelsea to edge back in front, Terry heading into the net from seven yards after a Mata free-kick from the left. Then Torres took centre stage to settle the tie and leave his state-of-mind and Chelsea's season fascinatingly cluttered.


==================

Telegraph:

Chelsea 3 Steaua Bucharest 1 agg 3-2

Henry Winter

Fernando Torres guided Chelsea into the quarter-finals of the Europa League with the key third goal but then missed a penalty. Just when Torres looks a confident predator again, he slips back.
On a night of eventual celebrations for Chelsea, this was frustrating for Torres. The Spaniard so needs the sort of belief that a second goal might have given him but at least he can reflect that his earlier, cooler finish had proved so important for Chelsea, who go into today’s draw after a performance that was less than convincing.

From the start, this had been a tense, nervy night. Trailing by a goal from the first leg, Chelsea had immediately launched themselves into the Romanians. Their creative trident of Oscar, Juan Mata and Eden Hazard was soon jabbing away at the Steaua defence, making shooting chances for Ramires and John Obi Mikel, both blocked.
Pushing for a goal which arrived after 34 minutes, Chelsea were occasionally exposed on the counter. Steaua felt some vulnerability in the hosts. Mikel was caught in possession, allowing the visitors’ striker Raul Rusescu to get ahead of the slow-reacting John Terry.
As so often down the years, Petr Cech rescued Chelsea. Terry made amends for his mistake with a strong clearing header from Alexandru Bourceanu’s corner.
Until just before the break, Chelsea seemed in control. Hazard’s dribbling kept carrying the ball deep into the final third, his change of pace and direction bemusing the Romanians; one of them was left sliding across the turf as Hazard headed down a different route.
He twisted in again, laying the ball back to Mikel, whose shot was pushed away by the diving Ciprian Tatarusanu, however Steaua’s goalkeeper was beaten after 34 minutes. David Luiz won the ball in midfield and Mata ghosted forward, soon finding Ramires and continuing into the box. The Brazilian completed the exchange, and Mata scored with a shot that clipped Tatarusanu and crept in off the post. The finish did not capture the elegance of the build-up but Chelsea did not care; they were level on aggregate. Chelsea stayed in control. Oscar and Mata created an opportunity for the labouring Torres, who had replaced the ineligible Demba Ba.
The Spaniard shot wide, his profligacy a contrast to his second-half expertise. Chelsea attacked again, this time down the left where Cesar Azpilicueta was momentarily filling in for Ashley Cole.
Azpilicueta and Hazard combined, again forcing Steaua into some emergency repairs. Hazard was looking to add a second and tested Tatarusanu.
Yet there was such belief to this Romanian team. Their fans were loud, very loud, twirling their scarves above their heads, a contrast to the Chelsea supporters who seemed underwhelmed by the Europa League. As the half drew to a close, Steaua built for that equaliser.
Adrian Popa made a dangerous run, racing towards the line until Cole did superbly to clear. Still the danger stalked those in blue shirts. Maybe Chelsea became distracted and complacent by the imminent whistle for half-time.
They were so disorganised at a Steaua corner in the 45th minute. When Iasmin Latovevici swung across the ball, Chelsea froze. Cech saved Cristian Tanase’s shot. Vlad Chiriches was quickest to the loose ball, slamming it into the roof of the net.
The Romanians celebrated their away goal wildly, knowing that Chelsea needed two. Chelsea scored one of them 13 minutes into the second half. Mata’s free-kick was aimed perfectly for the run of Terry, who was unmarked and headed unerringly past Tatarusanu. Chelsea fans made it abundantly clear the depth of their admiration for their captain.
Steaua’s captain, Bourceanu, was living dangerously, seemingly on a mission to clatter Mata. Steaua’s No 55 first caught Mata with a cynical challenge from behind, clearly designed to stop the Spaniard’s progress. Bourceanu was cautioned and was then fortunate that the referee, Stephane Lannoy, failed to notice a subsequent hack at Mata.
Chelsea still required a goal. Their fans tried to lift them but there were still scares.
Alexandru Chipciu’s shot suddenly came flying at Cech when Luiz ducked. Chelsea’s keeper still pushed the ball away, albeit less than gracefully.
Chelsea then got the goal they craved. Mata played the creator, teasing the ball to Hazard on the edge of the area, who tricked Steaua’s defence. The ball continued to Torres, who struck his 17th of the season with a low shot from left to right past Tatarusanu.
Moments later, Torres appealed for a penalty when turning away from Lukasz Skukala. Steaua were convinced he dived. Torres just shook his head in disbelief, even acquiring an accidental kick on the nose from Skukala as he ran past. Torres had a bloody nose and needed a shirt without his name on the back. Lannoy then told him to go and have the bleeding staunched.
The man with no name in his shirt returned with a proper top and seemed transformed. He was now a creature of confidence, turning defenders, shooting fractionally wide. The game remained a testy affair. Cole caught Popa. Steaua had lost their rhythm and vigour. Their fans kept jumping up and down, singing endlessly. The ball disappeared down the other end, Ramires running forward and then letting Torres take up the running. He was just a different player now. He really troubled Steaua’s defenders who gathered in numbers to close him down. This was what Roman Abramovich had wanted when investing £50 million in bringing Torres from Liverpool.
Torres now has to show such form game in, game out.
Chelsea should have prevented any enduring nerves four minutes left. Hazard was clearly fouled by Bourceanu, who somehow stayed on. Torres demanded the ball as Lannoy pointed to the spot.
He took a long run-up to the penalty, looking confident but his penalty hit the bar and whistled over into the Matthew Harding Stand.

Teams in the quarter-final draw:
Basle (Switzerland)
Benfica (Portugal)
Chelsea (England)
Fanerbahce (Turkey)
Lazio (Italy)
Newcastle (England)
Rubin Kazan (Russia)
Tottenham (England)

==============

Mail:

Chelsea 3 Steaua Bucharest 1 (agg 3-2):
Torres finds his nose for goal as Blues survive scare to progress into last eight

By MATT BARLOW

Fernando Torres emerged as Chelsea’s bloody hero on a frantic night when the beleaguered striker finally found the net and got a nosebleed.
For 20 minutes, fuelled by the rage of a boot in the face by Steaua Bucharest’s Lukasz Szukala as he lay on the turf, Torres was brilliant, like a £50million man possessed.
It was as if someone had turned back his body clock but there remained a hint of comedy about it all as fans celebrated his second goal in 1,325 minutes since Christmas with chants of, ‘Fernando Torres, he scores when he wants’.
His other goal in that time was an important late equaliser in the FA Cup at Brentford and this was the winner which transformed another sobering cup exit into a place in Friday’s draw for the quarter-finals.
Chelsea were far from impressive but they forced their way past the Romanian league leaders with  John Terry and Juan Mata also on target. There were 19 minutes left when Torres struck, collecting a flick from Eden Hazard, manoeuvring the ball on to his left foot and sliding it low across the keeper. It gave his team the edge and, moments later, he thought he had earned a penalty when he twisted past Szukala and hit the ground.
Torres was searching for the  penalty, no doubt, dangling his leg for contact. Slight contact was made and it was right under the nose of the one of the additional assistant referees.
As the Chelsea striker lay on his belly in disbelief, the same Steaua defender lumbered past and kicked him, cutting his face with his studs. Blood poured on to his shirt and Torres spent quite some time on the touchline trying to plug the flow.
He reappeared briefly wearing a shirt with no name or number but the officials ordered him back off to wipe up more blood and find another shirt with the right letters and number on the back.
Upon his return, Torres appeared energised by his anger, sprinting and chasing with pace and energy rarely seen from him this season.
When Hazard won a penalty, he grabbed the ball, planted it on the spot and smashed it against the bar. When he burrowed down the right and produced a chance in added time for Yossi Benayoun, the Israeli missed his kick.
It proved a frenetic end to a fascinating tie. Steaua were still fighting until the end in a strange atmosphere in front of fewer than 29,000 at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea had suspended ticket sales on Wednesday afternoon after becoming aware many home tickets were finding their way into the possession of Romanian fans.
When Vlad Chiriches slammed in what looked set to be a vital away goal, seconds before half-time, pockets of Steaua support erupted in all corners of the stadium.
It as an untidy goal. Torres blocked a corner but it dropped to Cristian Tanase who stabbed a shot at goal. Petr Cech, who found himself busier than he would have hoped during the first half, saved but the rebound fell for Chiriches to lash it high into the net.
It cancelled out Mata’s opener, squeezed beneath Ciprian Tatarusanu after a quick counter-attack.
Terry stepped forward in the second half.  On the day Rio Ferdinand returned to the England squad the Chelsea skipper was never likely to lurk quietly in the background.
It was his powerful header from a Mata free-kick, 13 minutes after the break, which breathed belief into the European champions.
From this point, Chelsea seized the initiative. They remain in the hunt for two trophies and on course to play more than 70 games in a long and winding campaign.

Chelsea: Cech, Azpilicueta, Terry, Luiz, Cole, Ramires, Mikel, Hazard, Mata, Oscar, Torres.

Subs not used: Turnbull, Lampard, Moses, Ferreira, Cahill, Benayoun, Bertrand.
Booked: Cole, Mikel.
Goals: Mata 33, Terry 58, Torres 71.

Steaua Bucharest: Tatarusanu, Rapa, Szukala, Chiriches, Latovlevici, Bourceanu, Pintilii, Popa, Chipciu, Tanase, Rusescu.

Subs not used: Stanca, Gardos, Filip, Prepelita, Tatu, Iancu, Adi.
Booked: Rapa, Bourceanu.
Goal: Chiriches 45.

Referee: Stephane Lannoy (France)
Attendance: 28,817.

=============

Mirror:

Chelsea 3-1 Steaua Bucharest (3-2 agg):
Fernando Torres the hero as Blues reach Europa League's quarter-finals
By Martin Lipton

He's become more used to boos than cheers, been transformed from the most-feared striker in Europe to something of a laughing stock.
One goal will not change that as far as Fernando Torres is concerned, not when it was only his second in almost 22 hours of football.
But at least on Thursday, bloodied but unbowed, Torres scored a goal that REALLY mattered, for Chelsea and for Rafa Benitez - even if it leaves them with the mother of all fixture pile-ups.
It was the sort of goal that became his trademark at Liverpool, a ruthless, unerring finish, making the vital half-yard, picking his spot, burying it in the corner.
The sort of goal that persuaded Chelsea to spend £50million on him.
And a goal that completed another Chelsea comeback, their second in five days, and which this time brought victory and not just a replay.
Of course, nothing in Torresland is ever that easy, that simple.
Fresh from his moment of glory - the perfect end to a terrific move begun by the mesmeric, majestic, Juan Mata, carried on by Eden Hazard's sublime dummy - it seemed that Torres was revitalised.
It was a goal that crowned a comeback which, while not as important, carried echoes of Napoli 12 months ago, although Benitez will never receive the acclaim that greeted Roberto Di Matteo.
 Chelsea had been staring into the Euro abyss at half-time, shoddy defending presenting a chance to defender Vlad Chiriches, seemingly set to be the latest Romanian to be named Vlad the Impaler.
That more than cancelled out Mata's terrific opener, receiving from David Luiz, driving on, exchanging with Ramires and forcing his 18th of the season off the inside of keeper Ciprian Tatarusanu's right thigh.
Even when Mata's free-kick just before the hour was met by the forehead of skipper John Terry, powered down and in off the near post, Chelsea were going out on the away goals rule.
Suddenly, though, the mood inside the Bridge was transformed, the attitude too and nobody more than Torres.
Where he had been hapless in the first half, his cause not helped when his near-post block teed up Cristian Tanase for the shot which was pushed only as far as Chiriches, now he was lithe and alert, popping up where a world-class striker is supposed to be.
That was the position, pulling off the defender's shoulder, finding the target when Hazard's slight of foot let the ball run through, from which he scored his 15th of the season.
Maybe, too late perhaps, it will be a turning point for Torres at Chelsea.
Stamford Bridge sensed it too, bellowing its collective support every time he saw the ball, demanding a penalty when he fell in the box, braying for revenge when the Spaniard was kicked in the face by defender Lukasz Szukala as he lay on the ground.
And when Hazard was downed by Steaua skipper Alexandru Bourceanu, the French referee pointing to the spot, Torres accepted responsibility.
The keeper was sent the wrong way, Torres aimed for the top corner and was left cursing his disbelief as the ball pinged off the bar and into the Matthew Harding Stand.
Had Steaua's late assualt brought another away goal, dumping Chelsea out, you suspect Torres would never have been able to live it down.
Thankfully for the Spaniard, the Romanians were repelled, Chelsea's name will be in today's last eight draw in Nyon, Benitez and his Blues may yet share a trophy before the decree nisi becomes permanent.
The reward? Four games in nine days, including an FA Cup quarter-final replay.
Only at Chelsea!
The Spaniard netted for only the second time this year as the Blues survived a scare from Steaua Bucharest to reach the last eight of the Champions League on aggregate.
Not even missing a late penalty or a bloodied nose could spoil Torres' night.
"It was important for him but the main thing is that it was important for the team," Benitez said. "We knew he was working very hard, he was training really well and scoring a lot of goals in training so we knew he was close. Hopefully it will be the first of a lot."
Torres has now scored 16 goals in seven different competitions this season but had scored only once in his previous 19 before Thursday night.
When the former Liverpool striker went through a goal drought last season, he declined the chance to take a spot kick in the FA Cup replay at Birmingham.
With Chelsea winning 3-1 against Steaua, Torres took a penalty after 86 minutes but hit the bar.
But Benitez said: "He has confidence now. He can take the responsibility and that was good. We are very pleased because he was taking the responsibility rather than he missed the penalty."
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Juan Mata scored before Vlad Chiriches netted an away goal in first-half injury-time to leave Chelsea needing two to go through. But John Terry and Torres completed the second Blues comeback in five days following their 2-2 draw at Old Trafford.
"Obviously we had more confidence after the game because in the comeback against United," said the interim coach. "We showed character, passion, commitment and quality and today was exactly the same. When you have all of those things together, it makes a good team."
Chelsea now face six games in 16 days after the international break, including a possible Europa League quarter-final against Newcastle or Tottenham when the draw is made on Friday.
"The next game is most important, just the one," Benitez continued. "Premier League, then, after, think about FA Cup. Wwe have to manage this way. I prefer to have this problem because it means we are still in competitions."
Chelsea keeper Petr Cech added: "We are at the stage where every game is a final for us because we are chasing the third spot in the league and ob now the Europa League and the FA Cup. We are playing a lot of games and we go step by step. It is not easy at times but we still keep fighting."


===============

Sun:
by Rob Beasley

FERNANDO TORRES went through heaven and El as Chelsea booked their place in the next round of the Europa League.
The £50million Spanish misfit scored a rare winner with only his second goal of the year to help Blues into the quarter-finals...exactly 300 days after being crowned European champions in Munich.
But he also blazed a late penalty against the bar when given the chance to double his tally late on.
The former Liverpool striker certainly had an eventful night, also denied a clear second half penalty when felled in the box by Lukasz Szukala.
And just for good measure the centre back kicked Torres in the face as he lay on the deck leaving him with a bloodied nose.
At least Chelsea escaped without any hurt, overcoming a 1-0 first leg deficit to edge through in the end.
But they made heavy weather of it.
In fact Chelsea’s task was almost doubled after just 13 minutes when Steaua striker Raul Rusescu romped clear.
The man who got the winner in Bucharest looked set to again make the Blues pay the price for slack defending.
But “keeper Petr Cech, at fault for two goals at Manchester United at the weekend, pulled off a fine, full length finger-tip save to turn the ball around the post.
A goal then would have been a hammer blow, especially in front of a subdued home crowd with plenty of empty seats on show.
That’s a clear sign of the disenchantment among many fans at the ticketing prices and the way the club is being run.
So it was the packed ranks of Romanian fans who created the atmosphere with a non-stop barrage of noise.
Nevertheless Chelsea just about edged it.
But make no mistake this is a pale shadow of the team that was crowned Champions of Europe in Munich last May.
How the mighty have fallen – and how quickly!
For this is a side shorn of confidence and belief, a side struggling to gel together, a side still hanging in there only out of sheer bloody mindedness.
The Blues did have their moments.
In the 23rd minutes John Obi Mikel crashed in a shot that was pushed away for a corner and from the flak kick the Nigerian skewed a left foot shot high and wide.
And ten minutes later, the Blues went ahead on the night and level in the tie.
Inevitably it was that man Juan Mata who made the difference.
Chelsea’s outstanding player this season played a neat one-two with Ramires and then fired off a low, right foot shot.
It cannoned through the keeper’s legs, bobbled a couple of times and kissed the inside of the post on its way in.
Not his greastest of goals but a vital one.
All square with almost an hour to go and surely Chelsea in the driving seat now.
Even Fernando Torres suddenly emerged to flash a shot wide.
Then Eden Hazard and Mata combined cleverly to tee up the Belgian for a shot that was again beaten out by the busy Ciprian Tatarusana just five minutes before the break.
But then on the stroke of half-time Steaua stole a goal to put Chelsea back in real danger of going out.
Torres blocked a corner in front of the near post, the ball rolled out to Cristian Tanase and he had a crack.
Cech parried the effort but the rebound dropped to Vlad Chiriches who gleefully rifled it up into the net.
A precious away goal meant the Londoners had just 45 minutes to save their skins.
The early second half signs were not promising, the team as subdued as their support – just 28,817 in attendance, the lowest gate of the season.
But then close on the hour captain, leader, legend John Terry powered into the box to rise unmarked and plant a trademark header into the back of the net.
Chelsea still needed another or go out on away goals.
But it was Cech who kept them in it with a fine stop from a swirling, swerving drive from Alexandru Chipclu as Steaua countered dangerously.
Now it was getting tense.
Chelsea would not be denied, though – Mata fed Hazard, he back-heeled to Torres and cor blimey – he scored!

DREAM TEAM RATINGS
STAR MAN — JUAN MATA(Chelsea

CHELSEA: Cech 7, Azpilicueta 6, Terry 7, Luiz 6, Cole 7, Ramires 6, Mikel 6, Hazard 7, Mata, Oscar 6, Torres 5. Subs: Moses (Mata 90) 5, Benayoun (Hazard 90) 5. Not used: Turnbull, Ferreira, Bertrand, Lampard, Cahill.Booked: Cole, Mikel.

STEAUA BUCHAREST:Tatarusanu, Szukala, Mihai Pintilii, Latovlevici, Rapa (Filho 83), Chiriches, Popa, Chipciu, Tanase (Leandro 78), Bourceanu, Rusescu. Not used: Stanca, Gardos, Filip, Prepelita, Iancu.Booked: Rapa, Bourceanu.


================

Express:

Fernando Torres finally gets a goal that matters for Chelsea
EVEN when he is the leading man with blood streaming heroically from his nose, life is still very complicated for Fernando Torres.
By: John Dillon

Chelsea are in the last eight of the Europa League after Torres scored a rare, significant goal at Stamford Bridge last night, sealing their triumph over the Romanians of Steaua Bucharest when it had seemed that even a typically thunderous header from John Terry might not be enough to save them from an exit on away goals.
It was smartly finished, too, as the Spanish forward seized upon the energetic work of Juan Mata and a clever dummy by Eden Hazard to plant home a low, angled drive from just inside the penalty area in the 71st minute.
However, in true Torres style, he then went and missed a penalty – in a rather spectacular way in the 86th minute, crashing against the bar which wobbled at him as if in reproach as he raised his eyes and, presumably, wondered what he had done to deserve this latest painful twist in the awkward tale of his Chelsea career.
Torres later missed a penalty which just about sums up his awkward time at Chelsea

Torres, you guess, was grateful to score at all, seeing as this was only his second since the turn of the year
It condemned the Blues to seven more minutes of anxiety before they could be certain that their presence in Europe would be maintained, 10 months after they won the Champions League.
This was, though, in a turbulent season for Chelsea, a rare case of all’s well that ends well. Torres, you guess, was grateful to score at all, seeing as this was only his second since the turn of the year.
For once, too, after his 15th of the season, he could forget the accusation that he mostly scores goals that do not matter very much.
It would not have done for the European champions to be putting away their passports just yet, even if they are now in the secondary competition.
Rafa Benitez, the much-abused interim coach, had named a full-strength side so there was no suggestion that the club are not taking the Europa League seriously, even if the top four is the priority.
It is a fair guess he would rather enjoy sauntering out of this place in May, leaving behind a trophy as a reproach to all those who maligned him.
At the end, the crowd and the manager were united in their appreciation of the fact Chelsea had worked hard for a deserved victory.
Chelsea players celebrate as Torres fires the Blues into the next round of the Europa League
The stand-out moment was the goal scored with familiar combativeness by the Chelsea skipper Terry. Back in the side after the missing the FA Cup recovery at Manchester United, he was presented with the opportunity to repeat a familiar old script by Mata’s excellent free-kick in the 58th minute.
Terry escaped his marker and thumped home a header from around 15 yards out. The old bones may be creaking but he still knows how to seize the moment.
This was critical because Chelsea had fallen behind in the tie for a second time – they lost 1-0 in Bucharest – despite Mata’s typically energetic opener in the 33rd minute.
It had been a frustrating start for Chelsea and Steaua had shown some counter-attacking verve and an ability to prevent the hosts’ flair players from getting going.
It was not until the 23rd minute that Chelsea had any sight of goal, with John Obi Mikel hopeful with a 25-yard drive. But then 10 minutes afterwards Mata proved once again how important his tirelessness is to this side.
Seizing on an opening just inside Steaua’s half, he darted forward and then laid off to Ramires. The return found Mata skipping around his marker and he touched in from eight yards.
It was the signal for the trio of little engineers behind Torres – Mata, Oscar and Eden Hazard – to begin finding their rhythm. But then the threat on the break from Bucharest was realised emphatically in the 45th minute.
Cornel Papa hurried down the left and although he was well-tackled by Ashley Cole, the resulting corner restored Steaua’s lead in the tie. Cristian Tanase’s first attempt was blocked by the legs of Petr Cech, but Vlad Chiriches scored from close range.
It ensured that Chelsea’s passage to the quarter-finals would remain uncertain for some time afterwards.
But in a season in which they are fighting against anti-climax following the heroics of Munich last May, this win was enough to keep some kind of flame alive in Europe.

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Cech; Azpilicueta, Luiz, Terry, Cole; Mikel, Ramires; Mata (Moses 90), Oscar, Hazard (Benayoun 90); Torres. Booked: Mikel, Cole. Goals: Mata 33, Terry 58, Torres 71.
STEAUA (4-5-1): Tatarusanu; Latovlevici, Chiriches, Szukala, Rapa; Tanase (Leandro 78), Pintilii, Bourceanu, Chipciu, Popa; Rusescu. Booked: Bourceanu, Rapa (Filho 83). Goal: Chiriches 45.
Referee: S Lannoy (France).

==============

Star:

CHELSEA 3-STEAUA 1: JOHN TERRY MAKES BENITEZ'S NIGHT
Paul Brown

THEY don’t call him Captain, Leader, Legend for nothing.
John Terry did his bit for Chelsea last night on his return to the starting line-up for this Europa League clash.
Juan Mata put them ahead on the night with his 18th goal of the season – but Vlad Chiriches equalised to leave the Blues needing two more.
Terry scored from a 59thminute Mata free-kick to give them hope of another comeback to follow Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-fi nal stunner at Old Trafford, when they drew 2-2.
And when Fernando Torres added No.3 with a left-foot shot in the 71st minute, the rescue job was complete.
Chelsea had work to do after losing the first leg in Bucharest, when a penalty from Raul Rusescu was the difference between the teams.
Problems
So Blues boss Rafa Benitez resisted the urge to rest too many players – even though he knew winning the tie would cause his men all sorts of fixture problems.
He put out as strong a team as he could, with Juan Mata, Oscar and Eden Hazard all starting behind Torres.
Benitez had no real choice with Torres as Demba Ba is cuptied, but it’s rare to see all three of the others starting together these days.
Steaua have bad memories of playing in England. In 2006 they went to Middlesbrough with a 1-0 advantage in the UEFA Cup semi-finals, only to lose 4-3 on aggregate.
Chelsea proved they know a thing or two about comebacks when they fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at United on Sunday.
They almost made a nightmare start and again it was that man Rusescu who wriggled clear.
But Petr Cech made a vital fi ngertip save to deny Steaua a potentially crucial away goal.
The visitors were well organised, well-drilled and well up for it.
It took Chelsea 23 minutes to test keeper Ciprian Tatarusanu, with Oscar dummying the whole back four and picking out Mikel, who shot produced a diving save.
When the goal came it was a scrappy affair.
Mata played a one-two with Ramires and broke into the box.
Tatarusanu was out quickly to save but the ball struck his leg and dribbled slowly in off the post.
If they thought their opponents would buckle though, they were sadly mistaken, as Steaua got that away goal in first-half stoppage time.
Alexandru Bourceanu swung in a corner and Cech managed to save Cristian Tanase’s initial shot, but it came back off the post for Chiriches to smash home.
That left Chelsea needing two – and Terry and Torres obliged to fi re them into the last eight.
But there was still time for Torres to fi re an 86th-minute penalty against the bar.
Hazard had won the spot-kick after he was crudely hacked down by Bourceanu.

CHELSEA: Cech; Azpilicueta, Terry, Luiz, Cole; Ramires, Mikel; Hazard, Mata, Oscar; Torres. Subs: Turnbull, Lampard, Moses, Ferreira, Cahill, Benayoun, Bertrand.
STEAUA: Tatarusanu; Rapa, Szukala, Chiriches, Latovlevici; Bourceanu, Pintilii, Popa, Chipciu; Tanase, Rusescu.
Subs: Stanca, Gardos, Filip, Prepelita, Tatu, Iancu, Adi. Referee: Stephane Lannoy (France).

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.

===============

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.

=================

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.


=====================

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

==================

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.