In a true FA Cup quarter-final tie at Old Trafford, Chelsea came back from a seemingly irretrievable position with a stirring second half come back after United had got off to the fastest of starts.

United were still seething from their loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League in midweek and they looked to take it out on the Blues. With Wayne Rooney restored to the line-up, replacing Robin Van Persie – silencing the rumors of the supposed rift with Ferguson – United were flying early on with the England international involved in everything good.

It was after only 5 minutes that Hernandez made United’s fast start count as put his side into a deserved lead. Then adding insult to injury it was only 5 minutes later that Rooney then put the red half of Manchester 2-0.

A place in the final for United looked like a formality at this point and the fans were letting Benitez hear about it. Just after the half Benitez lost patience quickly and took off Lampard and Moses for Mikel and Hazard.

The move seemed like a masterstroke as the Blues seemed to play with renewed vigour and guile and it was not long before Eden Hazard pulled one back with a cracking goal on 59 minutes, giving Chelsea real belief. The Blues now looked the better team and they attacked again and again before Ramires pulled the trigger on a great shot from the edge of the box beating De Gea low down to his left.

As time wore on Chelsea got stronger and stronger and looked far more dominant and far more likely to win as United became more and more ragged and were lucky to hang on as Hazard went close to the winner as the game ticked down with United tiring badly.

Late News: At the post match press conference Rafa Benitez claimed that Ferguson ignored his prematch handshake which just adds extra spice to what will already be a spicy FA Cup replay.