Chelsea fight back to earn a replay

Holders Chelsea inflicted more pain on Manchester United when they came from two goals down to draw 2-2 in a fluctuating FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford yesterday.

The hosts, knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid on Tuesday after a controversial red card for Nani, took a fifth-minute lead through Javier Hernandez and soon doubled it with a Wayne Rooney free-kick.

Just when the Premier League leaders had started to smell a Wembley date, Chelsea pulled one back on 59 minutes through substitute Eden Hazard before Ramires levelled nine minutes later.

The day’s other quarter-final will also be replayed after Championship sides Millwall and Blackburn played out a 0-0 draw.

Still smarting from their cruel Champions League exit, United sought to quickly soothe the pain.

They struck twice within the first 11 minutes, Hernandez opening the scoring when midfielder Michael Carrick’s long ball over the top found his head and he nodded the ball neatly over stranded keeper Petr Cech.

The Mexican poacher has now scored in six of his last seven games against Chelsea, who have been the most successful team in the FA Cup in recent years having won it four times in the last six seasons.

Ferguson’s men doubled their lead six minutes later after winger Nani was fouled by Victor Moses to win a free-kick just outside the area on the left.

Rooney, who faced media speculation over his future when he was dropped to the bench for the Real Madrid game, stepped up to swing the ball over the top of everyone and into the far corner.

Chelsea, who suffered their own European troubles this week with a 1-0 defeat by Steaua Bucharest in the first leg of their last-16 tie, offered little in terms of attack in the first half while United looked dangerous whenever they went forward.

But that all changed in the second half with Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez making an early double substitution that yielded swift rewards.

Seven minutes after his introduction, Hazard got on the end of a pass by Juan Mata to unleash a right-footed strike from the edge of the area which flew in to ignite a Chelsea recovery.

Nine minutes later, Demba Ba fed Oscar who played in Ramires with the Brazilian finding the net to stun United and even some of Chelsea’s fans who had been voicing their discontent earlier in the game.

Chelsea ended the match looking the more likely winners, with Mata going close in the dying seconds when David de Gea brilliantly stuck out a foot to save his powerful effort and earn United a replay.

Chelsea or United to play City in SFs

Chelsea or Manchester United will face Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-finals and Wigan Athletic will play Millwall or Blackburn Rovers following the draw which was held in London yesterday.

Wigan reached the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in their 81-year history when they won 3-0 at Everton on Saturday.

Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan might well be hoping Blackburn Rovers provide the opposition at Wembley which would be an emotional occasion for him.

He was in the Blackburn side that lost 3-0 to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1960, the last time they reached the final, when he suffered a broken leg which effectively ended his top-class playing career.

The FA Cup semi-finals will take place at Wembley Stadium on April 13 and 14.