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Thanks very much for your company this afternoon. Keep it vavel.com for the best sports coverage. I've been your host Neil Leverett, you can follow me @the91stneil. I'm off for a lie down. Goodbye!

United rather shot themselves in the foot. Ive just seen a stat. In the last five minutes, the visitors had ZERO possession in the final third. Hmm.

The result does little for either side's league position. United still sit six points off the top four; Chelsea, seven away from the drop zone.

United can feel hard done by in all honesty. The result was probably the predicted result, pre-match, but Chelsea will feel fortunate to have taken a point.

Louis van Gaal was berating the fourth official at the full time whistle, in sheer exasperation at the late concession to Diego Costa.

Dramatic end to events at Stamford Bridge. It looked as thought United would hold out for what would have been a deserved three points, but will have to accept just the one to take back north with them. Guus Hiddink remains unbeaten. Remarkably, he has only lost once in two spells at Chelsea.

FULL TIME: Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United

Breathless stuff.

GREAT SAVE: Chelsea are denied again at the death. Its Costa in again, fed by Hazard. Straight st de Gea.

CHANCE. Rooney goes close. Over the bar.

The United defence is broken. Fabregas tinkers with the ball and looks up to poke a ball through to Diego Costa. Costa bears down on goal versus de Gea, and goes around the Spaniard. Borthwick-Jackson stretches to block the ball, but can't allowing Costa to open his body and slide the ball in.

(photo:getty)
(photo:getty)

GOAL! 90 mins' +1 Diego Costa

STOPPAGE TIME: There will be six added minutes

CHANCE!: What a chance for Diego Costa. Willian curls a free-kick to the far post and up first is Costa. Ten yards out in front of goal, the striker's header is firm, fierce, but over...

SUBSTIUTION: Memphis Depay is on for goalscorer Jesse Lingard.

85 mins' It's all hands to the pump for United, as they drop deep. United fans not complaining about sitting back right now, that's for sure..

FREE KICK: Willian over the ball.... away...

Ten mins left. Can United hold on?

SUBSTITUTION: Morgan Schneiderlin has been called. Fellaini off.

74 mins' Rooney looks like a changed man of late. His confidence his high and an acrobatic attempt on the volley is just wide. A good onld fashioned bicycle kick. Nice.

GREAT SAVE: Chelsea are in the mood now. So is de Gea. Hazard cutely controls a pass and lays the ball to Fabregas who evades the challenge of Blind and strikes on goal, only to be denied once more by the magical Madridsta.

69 mins' Terrific second half here. Guus Hiddink is 20 minutes away from his first defeat sonce returing to the Stamford Bridge hotseat.

GREAT SAVE: David de Gea is shot stopper of the highest order. Fabregas hooks a cross toward the back stick, Cesar Azpilicueta reaches the ball but heads high and upward but on the end is Ivanovic who catches the ball sweetly but is denied by the theatrics of the United stopper.

SUBSTITUTION: Pedro is on for Nemanja Matic

64' Lingard wants another. Again, on the turn spies the top corner but his effort sails over the bar.

What have Chelsea got? Hazard has not touched the ball yet..

What a fabulous finish from Jesse Lingard. Borthwick-Jackson escapes on the left and his cross ricochets hits a United body and falls to the foot of Lingard. The youngster swivels, turns and drives the ball past Courtois, who cannot reach it. Superb.

(photo:getty)
(photo:getty)

GOAL! 60 mins' JESSE LINGARD

SUBSTITUTION: Gary Cahill replaces the stricken Kurt Zouma.

55 mins' OUCHY. You can hear the blood curding cries of Kurt Zouma there. The big Frenchman goes down wincing in agony, in distress. He's in trouble here. He seemed to land awkwardly on his knee. Gary Cahill is being primed.

SUBSTITUTION: Guus Hiddink has seen enough as Eden Hazard comes on to replace Oscar.

SAVE: Thibaut is a busy man right now. The Belgian is forced into action again from thunderous drive, tipped away from his goal.

49 mins' Very open start to the half. Martial this time wriggles away from his markers and shies at goal, but wide.

SAVE: It's Rooney again. Blind intercepts a Chelsea break, and runs at goal, exchanging passes with Rooney, before the striker lashes a shot a goal, met by the diving frame of the Chelsea keeper. 

47 mins' Lovely cross from Juan Mata to find the arriving Rooney on hand. The England man tries a glancing header, but fails to connect properly and the ball swirls in the air, safely to Courtois.

KICK OFF: Back under way at Stamford Bridge. No changes as of yet.

You've seen them given. Blind did handle the ball into the block, however his hands were by his side...

I'm off for a brew. See you in the a few minutes.

Chelsea have slowly gone through the gears after United started the better. Both sides have had openings, both so far, de Gea and Courtois have had one or two saves each to make.

The game has threatened to break wide open at times, but what we have here is a game nobody partucularly wants to lose. Or win as it seems...

HALF TIME : Chelsea 0-0 Manchester United

45 mins' Was that a handball? Terry finds himself free in the six yard area following a corner, and looks certain to score. Daley Blind blocks the goalbound shot, but was with his hand? Tight one.

44 mins' Inches. just inches. Darmian on the overlap plays a delicious slide-rule pass across the Chelsea box, but the in-running hoardes of red shirts - in particular Wayne Rooney - cannot quite reach the ball. Close.

CHANCE: Marouane Fellaini has had the sort of quiet outing United fans have become accustomed to, but the Belgian should have done better here. Again a Blind corner is whipped in and finds Fellaini, who can only glance a header wide of the target.

35' mins: Role reversal of play. Now it is Chelsea with 71 % of play. 

33 mins' Much better now from Chelsea. Neat build up play again finds Oscar who jinks and tries to slip Costa in again. The duo exchange and with Oscar in on goal but blazes over.

31 mins' Close from the hosts. Oscar pick up the ball in acre of space in midfield and slots the ball back thorough to Costa, who can only draga shot wide of the far upright.

SAVE: Chelsea finally get come to the party from a corner. Cesc Fabregas delivers and Diego Costa rises, but David de Gea does also and gets up to claim on the dive.

(photo:getty)
(photo:getty)

Roy doesnt look too impressed...

(photo:getty)
(photo:getty)

22 mins' Martial is proving a menace for Branislav Ivanovic. The forward delivering a cross to the back post which is diverted by Nemanja Matic.

20 mins' Chelsea cannot get going. Perhaps they wanted a day out in Kensington Park, but picnic, this aint lads.

GREAT SAVE: Our first effort in anger as Anthony Martial is afforded too much space on the left and breaks into the box unleashing a ripping drive, but the Frenchman is denied by a top-draw lurch by Thibaut Courtois, to tip the ball away.

13 mins' United have had 71 % possession in the opening 13 minutes. They did also dominate proceedings last season in this fixture, but went on to lose 1-0. Food for thought. 

11 mins' It could indeed be the full-back areas where this game is won and lost. So far however it is only the two in red and white forcing the issue as Cameron Borthwick-Jackson pops up the left whip the ball box-wards.

9 mins' The visitors building up a head of steam here. The ever-improving Matteo Darmian keen to get involved on the right. 

6 mins' First real opening for the visitors as corner is swung in Daley Blind, forcing Diego Costa of all people, to clear behind - at a stretch.

3 mins' It will be interesting to see what sort of game we get here. Typically cagey affairs for the most, might we get more of the same or will we see a veritable goal-fest? United on the front foot to begin here.

KICK OFF: we are under way in West London.

The players are out....

Despite the almost unprecedented scenario of 13th - 5th as we have this afternoon, there are still more clash points than a box full of Diego Costas.

van Gaal and Hiddink have met seven times. The United boss has only one victory to his name, compared to his opposite number's four.

Chelsea through and thorough since the age of 14, Terry will end a twenty year plus, some would say, marriage in West London.  

John Terry will be turning out for Chelsea for the first time since announcing his departure from the club at the end of the season.

(photo:getty)
(photo:getty)

make of that what you will....

"I do not believe that there is already a relationship between Jose Mourinho and Manchester United." 

The United boss seems to doubt the reports however...

The news on Friday that Jose Mourinho has been in talks with the club regarding a future appointment has only thrown van Gaal's tenure in Manchester into even more doubt..

(photo:getty)
(photo:getty)

no problem here guv'nor...

That is not to say the consternation has been The Blues exclusively this term. The Red Devils have flattered to deceive in the attacking department leaving certain quarters of the fans, media and joe bloggs on the street rather underwhelmed.

So Chelsea's enigmatic Belgian continues on the bench once more. Since returning from injury, Guus Hiddink has stated he would ease his man back into the line-up. Hazard has looked sharper of late, but his form this season remains a thing of pure mystery, with the dimunutive atttacker yet to score a league goal... 

(photo:getty)
(photo:getty)

Chelsea are also unchanged from their goalless draw at Vicarage Road. Eden Hazard remains on the bench.

Louis van Gaal names an unchanged side from their handsome - and a tad surprising - 3-0 win over Stoke City in midweek. 

Manchester United XI: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Borthwick-Jackson, Fellaini, Carrick, Lingard, Mata, Martial, Rooney.

Chelsea XI: Courtois, Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry, Azpilicueta, Matic, Mikel, Willian, Fabregas, Oscar, Costa.

team news is in...

The stage is set then for Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge as the two Dutch managerial veterans lock horns. Both sides have found their scoring touch in general so can we expect more of the same, or will we add another draw the list? Join us live from 3.15pm for team news. 

In the last six meetings, there have been three stalemates. The history of this fixture would suggest more paltry offerings from the league goal gods.

The record between the two sides at makes for bleak viewing if you are a United fan. In the 47 times, the two have met in the Premier League era, The Red Devils have lost on 33 occasions and have not won a domestic game since 2012.

Van Gaal was bullish regarding his charges recent form in the build up to the game, hailing their 'sparkling football'.

“I have the feeling [that we are back in the title race] if we can beat Chelsea,” he said. “That is not simple, though, that is very difficult. They haven’t lost since Guus Hiddink took over but if we beat Chelsea then I think our league is starting again, so that is very important. Michael Carrick said that to me and I had the same feeling. The competition is not yet finished, not for Manchester United or the other teams.

“We have the feeling, and that’s because we are winning twice in a row, with sparkling football, with goals, clean sheets, against opponents who were in great form – Stoke City played Liverpool off the pitch in the Capital One Cup but they lost on penalties.”

(photo:getty)
(photo:getty)

Both Louis van Gaal and Guus Hiddink have never been the best of allies, but share a 'professional relationship'. In the build to the game however, Hiddink has been unusually spiky about his opposite number, critiquing his United's game.

"When you just play possession in your back four with the goalie and you just play wide, wide, wide, wide, without having any intention of going vertical, then you say this is a country that doesn't allow that.

"I think the first thought must be vertical."

"There's a different approach and different view on the game, and that's [the case] with more coaches."

The last time the two sides met - during the festive period - the spoils were shared in a typically cagey affair between the two sides. With both sides wary of defeat, could we see a similar encounter this afternoon?

It is extraordinary to muse that this Chelsea side lifting the league title just a few short months ago. The likes of Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic have been shadows of themselves, although we will never now the extent of damage that Mourinho's public spat with his club doctor Eva Carneiro had on the club.

The Blues have suffered from indifferent form this term but following Jose Mourinho's departure once more from The Kings Road, his former charges have begun to found their feet. That won't wont detract from the fact that they sit just six points above the drop zone before kick off.

United roll up to Stamford Bridge this afternoon with their opponents unbeaten since Guus Hiddink once again took control in West London on a temporary basis.

The Red Devils have discovered some form of late after victory over Derby County in the FA Cup and a win last time out versus Stoke City, where Louis van Gaal's side scored three (yes three) goals in a single game. The pressure has eased on the Dutchman, slightly.

(photo:getty)
(Photo: Getty)

Manchester United's transition from Sir Alex Ferguson's stewardship has already seen the fall of one manager and that statistic will likely now become two, in the close season. 

For once, however, the teams that have been perennial title rivals, will not affect matters at the top of the table. Whatever the outcome. 

(photo: getty)
(Photo: Getty)

For today however, minds will turn to events on the field. as Chelsea take on Manchester United.

Who will Mourinho look to bring into Old Trafford? How will United be shaped? Is it the right appointment? I had my say here, tweet us yours at @ManUtdVAVEL.

Nevertheless - despite having won the league title for the first time in his second tenure as Blues boss last season - that is the scenario we are met with.

If one had suggested that Jose Mourinho would be in charge of Manchester United come the end of the 2015/16 Premier League campaign, the source of such speculation would have been scoffed at. 

(photo:getty)
(Photo: Getty)

Good afternoon and welcome to VAVEL's like text coverage of Chelsea versus Manchester United in the Premier League this Sunday afternoon. I am your esteemed host Neil Leverett and I will be host for proceedings over the next few hours. Kick-off is at 4PM (GMT) and we'll have team news at 3PM.

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About the author
Neil Leverett
33 year old writer living in London. Arsenal fan but all rounder, specializing in sporting analysis, in particular football.