Fergie’s rub of the red

Chelsea 2 Manchester United 3

The simple outcome of the match was that United moved to within one point of the Premier League leaders after ending Chelsea’s unbeaten league run and recording their first league win here since 2002 but that barely hints at the drama and controversy that unfolded.

It was a match of intense emotion that spilled over when the two benches became involved in an altercation after Fernando Torres collected Chelsea’s second red card and when missiles appeared to be directed at the United players as they celebrated Javier Hernandez’s winning goal.

Controversy aside, though, this was a thrilling game that swung dramatically before ultimately settling in United’s favour.

Not that Di Matteo particularly enjoyed it. Having seen his side recover after falling behind to two early goals, the Chelsea manager was then forced to watch as they imploded in a manner that could only partially be described as being of their own making.

While the home side could have few complaints about Branislav Ivanovic’s 63rd minute dismissal, they were hugely aggrieved at the referee’s decision to issue a second yellow card to Fernando Torres for going to ground after a 68th minute challenge from Jonny Evans. Evans conceded after the game there had been contact but the forward’s case wasn’t helped by a theatrical tumble.

“He had the ball between his legs, through, he gets kicked on his shin and goes down – it’s as simple as that,” said Di Matteo. “It’s a free-kick for us and might even be a sending off for Evans as he is through to the goal.”

Ferguson disagreed. “Did he intend to dive? He could have gone on and he didn’t,” said the United manager. “I thought he went down. I think Jonny may have just caught him but you can carry on running and he chose to go down. He could have carried on and scored. I would never have missed that chance to go through, I would have taken it every time. I would never go down, but he’s gone down and that is the issue. So it’s his own fault.”

Then there was further pain for Di Matteo and his players when Hernandez turned home the winning goal in the 74th minute from close range in what appeared to be an offside position.

“I watched a replay and it shows when Rafael shoots he is in an offside position,” said Di Matteo. “But everything went for United in that sense and that really makes us unhappy.”

This time Ferguson chose not to disagree, but was certainly not about to offer any sympathy.

“They say the winning goal could have been offside and that is a bit of luck we got,” he said. “It’s 10 years since we won here and there have been some shocking decisions down here. It’s very difficult to come here and get all the decisions.”

It clearly wasn’t Chelsea’s day and the fall-out will no doubt extend into Wednesday’s meeting of these two teams here in the fourth round of the Capital One Cup.

Ferguson’s side had started the game impressively, exposing a backline that was clearly weakened by the absence of John Terry absent for the second game of his four-match ban imposed for racially abusing Anton Ferdinand. The visitors were ahead inside four minutes after Wayne Rooney pulled the ball back for Robin Van Persie whose right foot shot found its way to goal via the post and the back of Luiz who registered an own-goal without knowing anything about it. Van Persie made it two eight minutes later after a similar move and Chelsea were reeling.

Slowly, though, Chelsea got onto the front foot and were all the more impressive for it. Juan Mata brought them back into it when he curled a superb free kick inside the post immediately before half time after Rooney had fouled Eden Hazard. And they levelled when Ramires headed home from Oscar’s cross in the 53rd minute.

At that point a home victory looked most likely. At least that was the case until Ivanovic allowed Ashley Young to get the wrong side of him and was dismissed for tripping the United forward as he bore down on Cech’s area.

Torres, who had been booked in the 45th minute for an ugly challenge on Tom Cleverley, quickly followed and the only question was whether Chelsea could hold out. They couldn’t, but they maintained they would have done but for the failure of the assistant referee to spot Hernandez was in an offside position when he turned home Rafael Da Silva’s drilled cross come shot.

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Cech 7; Ivanovic 4, Cahill 5, Luiz 5, Cole 6; Ramires 7, Mikel 7; Mata 8 (Bertrand 72,6), Oscar 6 (Azpilicueta 66,6), Hazard 7 (Sturridge 82,6); Torres 5.

MANCHESTER UNITED (4-1-4-1): De Gea 8; Da Silva 7, Ferdinand 6, Evans 6, Evra 7; Carrick 6; Valencia 8, Rooney 7 (Giggs 74,6), Cleverley 6 (Hernandez 64,6), Young 7; Van Persie 9.

Referee: Mark Clattenburg.