Man Utd 1-1 Chelsea: Van Persie saves the home side in the final minute.

Drogba proved he was far from useless with a superb header to open the scoring for Chelsea. But Van Persie shone in the final seconds, snatching a point for Man Utd.

Ten yellow cards, one indirect red card, countless fierce challenges, punctuated by some technically brilliant plays, and above all, two goals and drama maintained until the very last seconds. Today's Man Utd - Chelsea match had all the elements needed for a clash considered the "new classic" of English football.

Van Persie scored the equalizer, securing a 1-1 draw for Man Utd. Photo: Reuters.

Chelsea, with their familiar tenacity and solidity, withstood the immense pressure at their arch-rivals' home ground. They thought victory was assured when Drogba opened the scoring in the 53rd minute and held onto that slender lead until the third minute of added time in the second half. But ultimately, the match ended in a way Mourinho's team never expected – they let the victory slip away.

Manchester United were on the brink of defeat, seemingly unable to cross the thin line between a complete loss and a point. But like a drowning man grasping at a straw, the Old Trafford side unexpectedly found a lifeline and escaped, thanks to a moment of individual brilliance from Van Persie, who was in the right place at the right time to unleash an unstoppable close-range rebound shot, snatching a point and saving his team from a seemingly inevitable defeat.

Mourinho and his players will undoubtedly regret letting the victory slip away. But the 1-1 draw, in fact, isn't too bad, considering it was an away game and Chelsea were depleted, with their main striker Diego Costa injured and their first-choice left-back Cesar Azpilicueta suspended. Meanwhile,Man Utd didn't really deserve to lose this match, considering the dominance they created, the chances they had, and, most impressively, the way they fought until the very last seconds to turn the game around.

There will be debate surrounding whether referee Phil Dowd was too harsh in issuing Ivanovic a second yellow card that resulted in a red card, leading to the free-kick that allowed Man Utd to equalize. Controversy will also undoubtedly erupt regarding Ivanovic's penalty claim after falling in a challenge with Smalling in the 34th minute. But controversy, as it has always been, is a catalyst that makes the high-stakes clash between Man Utd and Chelsea even more captivating.

Ivanovic's red card and the subsequent free kick were converted by Man Utd to equalize. Photo: Reuters.

Chelsea started the match in their usual style, defending tightly, tenaciously, and making the most of their physical strength. Meanwhile, Man Utd sought to increase the pace from the very first minutes and created several dangerous moments towards the visitors' goal. One of these nearly resulted in the opening goal, if Chelsea goalkeeper Courtois hadn't made an excellent save to deny Van Persie's shot after a beautifully executed Man Utd attack.

Chelsea remained true to their approach, lurking and waiting for the opponent to make a mistake before striking. The opportunity in the 41st minute was one such situation when Rojo's header missed, giving Oscar a clear pass to Drogba for the volley. But De Gea proved no less impressive than his counterpart on the other side, diving to save Manchester United.

That missed opportunity might have made those who had criticized Drogba, saying he was old and useless, feel satisfied. But they will have to change their minds when they see the "Elephant" score the opening goal at the start of the second half. It was a situation where the 36-year-old striker showed that his goal-scoring instinct and knack for big matches haven't faded, as he moved skillfully and headed the ball backwards, stunning the entire Manchester United defense.

A minute before the opening goal, Drogba once again demonstrated his ability, with a one-two pass that allowed Hazard to bypass the entire Manchester United defense and face goalkeeper De Gea. But the Spanish goalkeeper redeemed his teammates with a spectacular save, denying Hazard's shot.

Mourinho has yet to beat Man Utd at Old Trafford since returning to Chelsea for his second stint. Photo: Reuters.

The absence of Rooney (suspended) and Falcao left Manchester United visibly lacking in attacking options against Chelsea. Di Maria and Januzaj were all show and no substance, Mata continued to disappoint, leaving Van Persie isolated upfront. Van Gaal tried to revitalize the attack by bringing on young striker Wilson to replace Mata, but this also failed to make a difference. As a result, Manchester United entered the final minutes of the match feeling extremely anxious and worried.

However, a moment of brilliance from Van Persie helped Man Utd and their home fans relieve the pressure, securing a point at Old Trafford at a time when they seemed destined to leave empty-handed.

According to VnExpress.net