Chelsea vs Manchester United - as it happened: N'Golo Kante strike sees Blues through to FA Cup semis
Re-live all the FA Cup action from Stamford Bridge
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It’s clash of the titans as Chelsea and Manchester United go head-to-head in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Follow all tonight's action below as both sides bid to book their spot in the last four of the competition.
- Michael Carrick insists Manchester United are not on revenge mission against Chelsea
- Jose Mourinho challenges Marcus Rashford after 'very difficult' second season
- Manchester United striking crisis forces Jose Mourinho to turn to Marouane Fellaini against Chelsea
- Chelsea manager Antonio Conte refutes Jose Mourinho's claim that he copied his counter-attacking style
- Chelsea boss Antonio Conte dismisses mind games but claims Manchester United have the league's best squad
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When is it?
Kick-off is 7.45pm on Monday, 13 March, at Stamford Bridge.
Where can I watch it?
BBC One will be broadcasting the game. Coverage starts at 7.30pm.
It’s a big game for…
Marcus Rashford. With Manchester United continuing to juggle the demands of Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup football, there’s every chance the young England star could feature against Chelsea. Whether he makes an appearance off the bench or starts for Mourinho, Rashford could have the chance to prove his worth once again. With Zlatan Ibrahimovic out through suspension, United need someone to step up to the big occasion. Can Rashford be that man?
Best stat…
Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 11 meetings with Manchester United in all competitions (W6 D5), last losing to them 3-2 in October 2012.
Player to watch…
Diego Costa. With three goals from his last three games, Chelsea’s Costa is a man enjoying another upturn in form. Having gone four games without a single goal to his name throughout February, the Spaniard is once again firing on all cylinders. Conte has hinted he would field a strong side against United so expect the forward to be in the mix for Monday night’s game.
Past three meetings…
Chelsea 4 Manchester United 0, Premier League, October 2016
Chelsea 1 Manchester United 1, Premier League, February 2016
Manchester United 0 Chelsea 0, Premier League, December 2015
Form guide…
Chelsea: WWWDWD
Manchester United: DDWWWW
Odds…
Chelsea to win: 17/20
Manchester United to win: 37/10
Draw: 5/2
Good evening and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of tonight's FA Cup quarter-final clash between Chelsea and Manchester United.
We'll be bringing you all the build-up, goals and updates from this evening's game so make sure to stay tuned for what should be a corker of a match!
There's been plenty of chatter surrounding tonight's clash with the matter of 'mind games' (*rolls eyes*) rearing its ugly head again.
Mourinho - a master in the dark arts - has been his usual vocal self in chipping away at Conte's Chelsea. The criticism this time? That the Blues are now being praised for the type of counter-attacking football his Chelsea champions apparently used to get criticised for.
Conte and Mourinho go head to head
Conte has been diplomatic in his handling of Mourinho though, speaking politely and carefully in his press conferences. Indeed, on Friday he claimed to entirely reject the idea of 'mind games'.
“The mind games... they're strange no,” Conte initially said. "It's strange to ask me this. I'm very focused on the pitch. The mind games don't bring you to win."
But moments later he dropped a very Mourinho-esque line, stating that the Portuguese (and Pep Guardiola, for that matter) have the best squads in the league. Is the Italian getting his excuses ready?
As petty as it all is, it certainly adds to the occasion.
After all the reports, it's confirmed that Marcus Rashford will in fact be starting for United tonight. He's overcome a late illness and steps in for the suspend Zlatan Ibrahimovic. A big night for him to prove his worth!
No room for Luke Shaw though - not even a place on the bench. What a cruel turn of events for the youngster. After recently starting against Bournemouth, and putting in a respectable performance too, Shaw looked on course for a late revival under Mourinho. Alas, the defender has now been overlooked for United's past two games. Cause for despair?
The Blues mean business tonight. A full-strength side from Antonio Conte. No FA Cup concession for JT though who starts on the bench.
What a relief it will have been for Mourinho to get the all-clear from Rashford. The youngster had been a serious doubt ahead of the game, having been struck down with illness, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial all are unavailable through injury or suspension.
The lack of forward options raised the hilarious prospect of playing Marouane Fellaini up front (which I for one would love to see) but, tragically, the Belgian must make do with a spot on the bench after Rashford was named in Mourinho's starting XI.
As I'm sure you'll all remember the last encounter between these two sides ended a humiliating 4-0 rout of Manchester United. It was a dark day for Mourinho and confirmed that his side were very much still a work in progress. Nonetheless, the side have gone on to improve, taking small baby steps in the right direction. Indeed, Mourinho's men have not lost in 11 across all competitions. But compared to Conte's Blues they still remain a million miles apart.
They'll need to pull something special out of the bag tonight if they're to stand any chance of overcoming Chelsea - especially with that man Zlatan Ibrahimovic missing.
So what formation are Manchester United going with tonight? We're guessing 5-4-1 but Mourinho is proving enigmatic.
The Portuguese was at his cagey best in the pre-match interview:
"I can't explain," he says when asked about his formation. "Just keep speaking in the studio, keep entertaining the people at home. See the game and after a couple of minutes you will understand."
"Will Phil Jones play in midfield?" the BBC asked.
"I can't tell you."
It's never simple when it comes to Mourinho, is it?
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