Manchester United vs Chelsea, Live Score and Commentary, EPL 2016-17

PEEP! PEEP! PEEEEEP!

What a tactical masterclass from Jose Mourinho here as he shows his old charges, and the critical watching world, that is still very much the Special One.

Antonio Conte's men was comprehensively outplayed and Eden Hazard will still be struggling to get out of Ander Herrera's pocket. The Spaniard was by a mile the man of the match. Rashford was excellent, Lingard too as was almost everyone in a red shirt.

The opposite can be said of Chelsea - all of whom probably had their worst games of the season.

It was a magnificent performance from United and was an excellent game to cover. Muchos gracias for the company... Anirudh Menon signing out.

Toodle-ooo!

93' Captain Ashley Young is taken off for Timothy Fosu Mensah - and a standing ovation. He was quite brilliant tonight.

91' This time Ibra does the foul-winning... and while Pogba tried to release Valencia early, the ref wasn't happy with it and asks for it to be retaken. United proceed to ping the ball around before Rojo punts it long.

90' Zlatan gives away a cheap freekick (for which he receives a yellow) at the edge of the Chelsea box. There will be FOUR minutes added on.

88' Costa does supremely well to escape the attentions of Bailly - and a whack to the shins - but the ball is handed right back to United. Fabregas then goes diving in with an ugly challenge on Carrick and it's a yellow. Didn't deserve more.. or less

86' Fabregas tries to pick out Hazard from nigh on seventy yards away, but Michael Carrick (now tasked with the duty of man marking the Belgian) is there to head it away. Chelsea are boxing United in and the deeper the home side go, the more Chelsea look like they'll score.... till Loftus-Cheek loses out to Rojo - and it goes out for a goal kick

85' Young takes a freekick really long - Zlatan knocks it down to Pogba, but the Frenchman just can't a shot or a pass away. Chelsea counter and Hazard tries to slip in Costa, but that's offside. Bailly had won the ball quite easily, in any case

84' Zlatan bullies Luiz right off the ball but the ball is lost on the other side by Young. Rojo does brilliantly to cover and win the ball off Willian.

83' Chelsea are really going for this now - Ruben Loftus-Cheek now on for Kurt Zouma.

82' What a substitute. Zlatan Ibrahimovic comes on for the incredible Marcus Rashford. Old Trafford rises as one to applaud the young man off.

80' Young almost marauds straight down the middle of the ball but overruns it just as he has only Luiz to beat. He runs back and retrieves it before shebang-ing one back to Birmingham. For all the stick he's gotten recently (from me too) he's been marvellous tonight

79' Kante punts a hopeful one in, but its just a goal kick.

78' Pedro tries to swing one in... but Herrera is there. Chelsea corner - from which nothing comes. Pogba runs away with the ball - all athleticism and loose limbs, but for once Kante gets the better of him today and Chelsea snuff out the danger of the counter

75' Fabregas' delivery is rubbish - but Chelsea win the ball back soon enough and squeeze United back. Rojo does superbly though to track the run of Hazard and bully him off the ball... Fellaini then gives away yet another cheap freekick. This time on Luiz

74' Chelsea are playing the ball around with far greater purpose than seen before today and Chelsea are pushing United further and further back into their own third. The excellent Pedro wriggles free of Herrera, but his ball into the box is well cleared. Rashford tries to win a corner off Luiz, but the Brazilian is having none of it. The ball is worked forward where Rojo picks up a booking fro another installment of his personal war with Costa.

73' Hazard + Herrera = Pure Entertainment. This time, though, Herrera goes into the book for an innocuous looking foul on Hazard. An accumulation, I would presume.

71' Hazard finally extricates himself, or rather the ball, form Herrera's stifling presence with a clever backheel to Azpilicueta, but Pogba does well to win the header against Diego Costa. The ball is worked back to the left, but Azpilicueta's second ball in in quick succession is straight at De Gea

70' Valencia tries to hassle both Luiz and Begovic, but Chelsea manage to work it out... that has been United's main factor here.. their enthusiasm. (And the tactics, obviously)

69' Marus Rashford is on FIRE!!! He runs at David Luiz and weaves left and right before bullying both Luiz and Kante and curling a shot too straight at Begovic. What a game the lad is having today.

68' Fellaini and Azpilicueta engage in a bout of wrestling as they vie for an aerial ball, with predictable results. A Chelsea freekick.

66' OH HERRERA! The corner pinballed around till it dropped to Costa. Just as the striker was about to unleash one, Herrera swept in with a superb tackle. Conte takes the kitchen sink, hoists it onto his considerable shoulders and throws on Willian for Matic

65' The set-piece comes to nothing initially, but Pedro keeps it alive and wins another corner as he tried to curl it into the top corner

64' Fabregas pings one into Diego Costa - but an excellent Eric Bailly tackle means it is just a corner

62' Fabregas pumps it long but Hazard is marshalled by... Herrera - the Basque is ALL OVER the Belgian here... and United counter at pace. Young plays it wide to Rashford, but he's well covered by David Luiz

61' Rashford is terrifying Chelsea here. He races at Luiz and before the Brazilian can think, he smashes a screamer into the side netting. 75% of Old Trafford though he'd scored there! What a hit though...

59' Azpilicueta swings in a delicious little ball into the box but it's just too much for Pedro. Meanwhile, Michael Carrick comes on for Jesse Lingard as Mourinho looks to tie this up in a neat little Geordie knot.

57' Fabregas sweeps one forward, but Costa is well marshalled by both Bailly and Rojo... Lingard is set free on the wing but he's well held up by Cahill. United retain possession.... till Fellaini loses out to an inspired Fabregas

56' Luiz and Fellaini go up in a supreme battle of Afro vs Afro - the Brazilian wins it, but Hazard is pickpocketed by his personal attendant Ander Herrera... the ball though is worked back for Chelsea...

54' Chelsea have to do something, and Fabregas is on for Moses. This should mean that Chelsea switch to a back four...

52' Pedro has a pop from an incredibly acute angle with predictable consequences... Manchester United retain possession and are looking oh so comfortable on the ball

51' Pogba, Rashford and Lingard work a pretty little triangle, before Lingard curls an effort handsomely over the bar. That was not a bad effort, at all.

This was excellent from Ashley Young. He chased a lost cause, made the most of it by dribbling into the box like an ersatz, erm, Hazard... and Kante can get it out only as far as Herrera. The midfielder unleashes a hammer of a shot that takes an unfortunate (for Begovic) deflection off Zouma and ends up nestled at the back of the net.

49' GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! ANDER HERRERAAAAAAAAA!

48' His ball is way too long for anyone in the box, but it matter not because....

47' Foul throw from Victor Moses. How does a professional footballer commit such an idiotic infringement? Cahill then goes in with a high boot on Marouane Fellaini - Marcus Rashford stands over the freekick.

46' Lingard and Rashford try to be a touch too cute down the right, but Pogba, and then Young, do really well to retain possession. Before Valencia's pass to Lingard rolls just behind him

PEEP! We're off

United kick off - this time attacking the Stretford End. Should be a cracking 45 minutes of football, this

A proper nod on for two-at-the-top this, isn't it? Lingard and Rashford have been rather good in these forty-five minutes

PEEP! PEEEEP! HALFTIME

This has been a tactical masterclass from Jose Mourinho and his charges have shown just how effective a well-executed plan can work out. The best part from an Old Trafford point of view? They've played this game on fifth gear throughout.

As for Conte... you don't fix that which is not broken. But this looks a bit broken. It will be fascinating to see how he addresses this all-new challenge.

Back in fifteen!

46' TWO MINUTES ADDED ON. Rashford skins Moses and pulls one back but Young skies it to kingdom come.

45' Kante drives at Rojo and has the argentine back-pedalling furiously. He passes it on to Costa who lays it off to Hazard - but guess who's there to intercept it? Hazard's personal rash - Ander Herrera.

44' Fellaini has been impressive in the middle of the field, winning free kicks when Chelsea look like they are moving forward. This time he suckers Kante into a foul.

43' Rashford takes the corner- but Kante's first to it. Pedro tries to power forward, but Herrera is there to put in an important foot. Kante wins the ball back, 'course he does, and Hazard tries to release Azpilicueta down the right - but the Spaniard slips just as he's about to deliver one in.

41' United look so much more comfortable than Chelsea when they are on the ball... Lingard is going wherever he pleases and he's pulling apart that Chelsea midfield. Rashford runs into the box, bullies away Moses, and swings one in that is header just OVER HIS OWN BAR from Cahill.

39' Hazard goes down under pressure from Herrera - the Basque would make Claudio Gentile proud with this exhibition of man-marking.

38' Pobga tries to release Lingard down the left with a stab in behind Azpilicueta, but Luiz is there to mop it up. When United are this high forward, they are committing a lot of men in attack - and that may just be Chelsea's best route back to the match. In this instance, it's going to be a goalkick only

37' Chelsea punt the ball in long, 'cos why not' and Costa lands on Rojo with a swing of his elbows on the Argentine's face. There's a bit of afters and this battle promises to get even spicier.

36' From the set-piece, Luiz is penalised for an infringement in the area.... Hazard is growing into the game - the sure indication being the fouls on him are increasing exponentially. This time it's Paul Pogba doing the honours.

35' This is more like it from the champions-elect. Hazard turns Herrera with a brilliant dip of his shoulders, and the Basque does the needful. Set-piece in a dangerous looking area with Eden Hazard standing behind it? This is Chelsea's best chance yet.

33' Pogba's freekick is well taken - but Fellaini is held well by Cahill and the ball rolls out of play. United win it back almost immediately and then lose it just as fast. A bit of a lull at the moment as Chelsea try to figure out what in the blue hell is happening.

Manchester United vs Chelsea, Live Score and Commentary, EPL 2016-17

Manchester United 2 - 0 Chelsea (Rashford 8', Herrera 49')