It’s been a little while since these two footballing giants rivalled each other at the summit of the Premier League, but there have been some incredible meetings between the two since the turn of the millennium. Ahead of their upcoming fixture, we’ve taken a look at five of the most iconic battles between Chelsea and Manchester United.
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5. Man United 3-3 Chelsea (2000) – Goals Galore
A hell of a game to kick things off. Claudio Ranieri picked up his first point as Chelsea manager in a back-and-forth thriller at Old Trafford. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink – one of football’s greatest names – opened the scoring with an absolute rocket from the edge of the box, before Paul Scholes produced a screamer of his own to level the tie.
United raced into a 3-1 lead with goals from Teddy Sheringham and David Beckham, before a Tore Andre Flo brace nicked Chelsea a draw. There was some serious talent on show in this six-goal belter.
5. Chelsea 4-0 Man United (2016) – Mourinho’s Return to the Bridge
Jose Mourinho’s infamous return to Stamford Bridge will forever remain a day to forget for the ‘Special One’. It took just 30 seconds for Pedro to capitalise on some calamitous United defending and give the Blues the lead – the look from Mourinho said it all. Gary Cahill doubled the hosts’ lead, before a superb Eden Hazard finish took the game away from the travelling Reds.
A wonderful N’Golo Kante solo goal rounded off a terrible trip to his former stomping ground, as Chelsea went on to win the Premier League title the season after sacking him.
3. Chelsea 3-0 Man United (2006) – Premier League Decider
Another night to forget for United fans. They travelled to west London on matchday 37 knowing they had to win to keep their title hopes alive. In contrast, Chelsea knew they only needed a point to claim a second consecutive title. With Mourinho at the helm and only a point needed, surely Chelsea would park the bus and earn the point? Wrong.
William Gallas gave the league leaders an early advantage, but a moment of magic from Joe Cole on the hour mark stole the show. Surrounded by three United players, Cole’s twinkle toes danced beyond the helpless red shirts and slipped the ball past the onrushing Edwin van der Sar. Ricardo Carvalho put the icing on the cake to end a sublime season.
2. Chelsea 3-3 Man United (2012) – Fergie’s Comeback Kings
There have been some iconic United comebacks over the years, with this trip to Chelsea high on the list. The Blues went ahead through a Jonny Evans own goal, before Juan Mata doubled their lead with a pearler of a volley. When David Luiz’s header ricocheted off Rio Ferdinand into the top corner, it looked like it was game over. But Fergie’s United simply didn’t know when they were dead and buried.
Two Wayne Rooney penalties in 10 minutes gave United a sniff of a memorable comeback. With just five minutes remaining, veteran Ryan Giggs whipped in a cross for Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez to nod home and nick United a point on the road. It could have been a crucial point in the title race, but we all know what happened on the final day of the season when Man City travelled to QPR…
1. Man United 1-1 Chelsea (2008) – Champions League Final
Now where do you start with this one. Just 10 days prior to their meeting on the biggest stage, United had pipped Chelsea to the Premier League title on the final day of the season. Revenge was on the cards for the Blues, but things didn’t go quite as they would have hoped. In a typically feisty affair, a trademark hang-in-the-air Cristiano Ronaldo header gave United the lead to top off an incredible individual season (42 goals in 49 appearances).
Not long after missing a guilt-edged chance to extend their advantage to 2-0, United saw their keeper and lead slip away, as Frank Lampard slotted home to capitalise on Van der Sar’s lost footing. The 90 minutes trickled over into extra time, with both teams missing chances to seal European glory. In the 117th minute, a scuffle broke out and Didier Drogba received his marching orders after slapping Nemanja Vidic.
With slipping the common theme throughout this Champions League final, penalties got underway. Captain John Terry had the ball at his feet to secure the trophy, but a slip at the most vital moment sent the ball cannoning off the post. It was Van der Sar who would prove the hero and rectify his earlier mistake, saving Nicolas Anelka’s spot-kick to complete United’s double.
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