LIVE BLOG

90+5min: FULL TIME. Shambolic from Chelsea.

90+3min: McTominay the game’s final change, replacing the excellent Rashford.

90+1min: Chelsea go on a half-decent jaunt forward, but Zappacosta’s cross back is very poor and Hazard has no prayer on the aerial duel. He does win it, but it goes harmlessly wide.

90min: 5 minutes added on, just to extend the torture. Alonso has a half chance, but no luck.

88min: Hazard loses the ball, but at least tracks back to win it from Rashford. Poor effort overall from Eden though.

85min: All too easy for United. Chelsea desperately hoping for a penalty for some reason, but VAR doesn’t stir.

82min: Zappacosta for Azpilicueta. Not a popular substitution, to say the least.

77min: Azpilicueta gets a chance to cross and picks out Barkley on the far post, but he’s called for a nonexistent foul and the chance is gone. United fans start a “sacked in the morning” chant. Mourinho’s name goes up in song, too. Hah.

73min: Alexis on for Lukaku. United breaking very little sweat. Mata makes way for Andreas Pereira a bit later, and gets a nice hand from the locals.

71min: Barkley on for Kovačić. The safest bet.

69min: Mata of all players takes out Hazard in a good area for David Luiz to take aim ... but it’s Willian who tries to produce a classic, but he gets it all wrong and it flies over harmlessly.

67min: Good work from Higuaín gets Chelsea out and Hazard bounds forward, finding Alonso on the left. His low cross is easily cut out by Herrera.

64min: Out of nowhere, Hazard flashes on the right, beats Lindelof and has a great chance, but a last ditch block prevents the goal. Chelsea waste the corner, then have a penalty claim turned down. Kanté gets the yellow for stopping the subsequent counter.

59min: Rüdiger gets a yellow for going through Mata to win the ball from behind. A bit harsh. Willian replaces Pedro in a standard change.

57min: Kanté almost finds Pedro with a great run into the area, but Lindelof clears while clattering his own goalkeeper. A brief delay as Romero is treated/wastes some time, then Chelsea waste the corner as usual.

53min: Chelsea having a decent spell, win a corner. Hazard takes, Pogba clears for another corner. Romero wastes some time, and Kevin Friend indulges him. Eventually, Hazard takes it again and United clear again.

52min: Matić gives away a foul again, but escapes a second yellow after just getting warned a second ago for the Hazard foul.

51min: Hazard wins a cheap foul from which he finds David Luiz on the far post run. His header back is cleared however before Kovacic can get to it.

49min: The corner comes out to Kante who takes an ill-advised long-shot from which United counter through Rashford. Chelsea recover, just, with Azpilicueta almost handling in the area. David Luiz got back in the nick of time to cut out Rashford’s cross.

48min: Chelsea pass it around well and eventually Azpilicueta slides in Higuain, whose first time shot on the turn is blocked for corner.

SECOND-HALF: Chelsea get us going again. No changes for either side because reasons.

---

45+2min: Half-time whistle goes and the boos rain down. A few good moments from Chelsea, but United far more effective, and lead 2-0 at the half.

45min: Goal, United. Chelsea lose the ball in midfield and Rashford sprints down the right, picks out Pogba running through the center and he beats Rüdiger, Azpilicueta, and Arrizabalaga to make it 2-0 for the visitors. Very poor from Chelsea.

43min: Chelsea finally get something going as Kovacic finds Pedro, who lays it on for Azpilicueta high up the wing. But his low cross is cut out for a throw.

41min: All too comfortable for United at the moment, as Hazard loses the ball with a long touch, then United gives the ball back cheaply. Little quality on show.

38min: Hazard flicks on a David Luiz pass to Higuaín, who’s in on goal as his defender falls down ... but is beaten easily for pace by Shaw. Hazard does pounce on the clearance, drives to the byline and stands up a cross, but it spins over the line.

35min: Chelsea look to respond, but United looking comfortable. Romero misplays a mis-hit Pedro cross, but gets lucky as it spins just wide of the far post.

31min: Goal, United. Mata bests Jorginho in the middle and finds Pogba out wide. He’s allowed to cross and picks out Herrera making a looping far post run. No one picks him up until it’s far too late, either in midfield or defense, and he nods home easily. 1-0, bad guys.

29min: Hazard takes the corner, but Pogba clears and looks to start a counter. Kanté puts a stop to that and Chelsea reestablish possession.

28min: Chelsea defend well and wait out the United possession, then scamper forward through Pedro who finds Hazard. But his pass back to Pedro is cut out. Chelsea recover the ball however and win a corner on the opposite flank through Kanté.

25min: Kepa miscontrols an Azpilicueta backpass with Rashford bearing down on him, but manages to recover and get his pass away just before giving away a greatly embarrassing goal.

22min: Hazard toys with two down the left and pulls a low ball across the six-yard box, but Romero’s alert to it and cuts it out before Azpilicueta could get to it.

21min: Young booked for taking out Pedro from behind.

19min: Rudiger called for a harsh foul on Rashford, who takes the free kick and drives a bouncing ball straight at Kepa, who holds well.

17min: Azpilicueta crosses for Higuain as if he were Morata, but his powerful header from 12 yards out goes just wide of the near post.

15min: Matic booked for a cynical foul on Hazard.

12min: Alonso has a shot after Hazard comes to life, but it goes wide.

11min: Massive chance for Pedro after Romero parries a David Luiz free kick, but he makes a great save on the volley. The free kick came because of Herrera smashes a hand in the face of Kovacic. No yellow, for some reason.

9min: Smalling is left wide open on the far post and has a free header (having stayed forward from a free kick just prior), but it’s a weak one and Kepa catches easily.

6min: Pedro fashions a cross from the right byline, but Romero catches.

4min: This time Lukaku’s the one shooting, but his powerful drive is into the stratosphere.

2min: Crucial intervention from David Luiz, to cut out Lukaku’s cross with Rashford waiting to tap it in.

KICK-OFF: Manchester United get us underway.

---

This is just one of several season-defining games for Chelsea this month, with the “luck of the draw” pairing the Blues and Manchester United in the FA Cup’s fifth round this season.

The winner goes on to the competition’s quarter-finals and given the strong lineups selected by the coaches today, they do not want to miss the chance of moving forward and adding silverware in their first season at their respective clubs.

Here we go!

---

Chelsea starting lineup (4-3-3):
Arrizabalaga | Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Rüdiger, Alonso | Kanté, Jorginho, Kovacic | Pedro, Higuaín, Hazard

Substitutes from: Caballero, Christensen, Zappacosta, Barkley, Hudson-Odoi, Willian, Giroud

Manchester United starting lineup (4-3-3?):
Romero | Young, Lindelöf, Smalling, Shaw | Herrera, Matic, Pogba | Mata, Lukaku, Rashford

Substitutes from: De Gea, Bailly, Dalot, Fred, McTominay, Pereira, Sánchez

---

Date / Time: Monday, February 18, 2019, 19:30 GMT; 2:30pm EST; 1am IST (next day)
Venue: Stamford Bridge, SW6
Referee: Kevin Friend

On TV: BBC One (UK); none (USA); Sony ESPN? (India); elsewhere
Streaming online: BBC iPlayer (UK); ESPN+ (USA); ESPN India

---

Be excellent to each other.