SINCE ROMAN Abramovich became the owner of Chelsea in June 2003 his team have met Manchester United 14 times, in the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Community Shield. Chelsea have won seven of those games, United just two, the other five ending in draws.
In that time Chelsea have had three managers - Claudio Ranieri, Jose Mourinho and Avram Grant. United, of course, have had just the one.
Results and seven of the best
LAST 14 GAMES
November, 2003: League: Chelsea 1, Manchester Utd 0.
May, 2004: League: Manchester Utd 1, Chelsea 1.
August, 2004: League: Chelsea 1, Manchester Utd 0.
January, 2005: League Cup: Chelsea 0, Manchester Utd 0.
January, 2005: League Cup: Manchester Utd 1, Chelsea 2.
May 2005: League: Manchester Utd 1, Chelsea 3.
November, 2005: League: Manchester Utd 1, Chelsea 0.
April, 2006: League: Chelsea 3, Manchester Utd 0.
November, 2006: League: Manchester Utd 1, Chelsea 1.
May, 2007: League: Chelsea 0, Manchester Utd 0.
May, 2007: FA Cup final: Chelsea 1, Manchester Utd 0.
August 2007: Community Shield: Chelsea 1, Manchester Utd 1 (Man Utd won 3-0 on penalties).
September, 2007: League: Manchester Utd 2, Chelsea 0.
April, 2008: League: Chelsea 2, Manchester Utd 1.
SEVEN OF THE BEST
Manchester Utd 1, Chelsea 1
(May 1st, 2004, Premiership)
ARSENAL WERE the runaway winners of the Premiership title that season, with United and Chelsea battling it out for second place. The draw at Old Trafford - Ruud van Nistelrooy getting a 77th-minute equaliser after Jesper Gronkjaer had given the visitors a first-half lead - sealed the runners-up spot for Chelsea, their highest finish in the top flight since they were champions in 1955.
Enough to keep Claudio Ranieri in the job? No - it proved to be his penultimate game in charge. Enter Jose Mourinho.
MANCHESTER UTD: Howard, G Neville, Brown, Silvestre, O'Shea, Fletcher, Scholes (Saha 36), P Neville (Kleberson 78), Ronaldo (Solskjaer 87), Giggs, van Nistelrooy.
CHELSEA: Cudicini, Melchiot (Johnson 74), Huth (sent off 73), Terry, Bridge, Gronkjaer (Babayaro 83), Lampard, Makelele, Geremi, Joe Cole (Parker 78), Gudjohnsen.
Chelsea 1, Manchester Utd 0
(August 2nd, 2004, Premiership)
EIDUR GUDJOHNSEN'S 14th-minute goal gave Mourinho victory in his first competitive game in charge, against a United side that featured Liam Miller and John O'Shea in midfield and Roy Keane at the centre of defence. Quinton Fortune, Eric Djemba-Djemba and David Bellion also made appearances for United that day, leading some to conclude they were lucky to get "nil".
CHELSEA: Cech, Ferreira, Gallas, Terry, Bridge, Geremi (Carvalho 89), Makelele, Lampard, Smertin, Drogba (Kezman 70), Gudjohnsen (Parker 82).
MANCHESTER UTD: Howard, Silvestre, G Neville, Keane, Fortune (Bellion 84), Miller (Richardson 84), O'Shea, Djemba-Djemba (Forlan 73), Giggs, Scholes, Smith.
Manchester Utd 1, Chelsea 2
(January 3rd, 2005, League Cup semi-final, second leg)
HAVING DRAWN the first leg of their semi-final 0-0 at Stamford Bridge a Damien Duff goal six minutes from time - a free-kick from near the touchline that deceived United goalkeeper Tim Howard - put Chelsea through to the League Cup final and ended Alex Ferguson's 19-game record of never having lost a domestic semi-final as United manager.
MANCHESTER UTD: Howard, G Neville, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Heinze, Scholes, Keane, Fortune (Rooney 59), Ronaldo, Saha, Giggs.
CHELSEA: Cech, Ferreira, Gallas, Terry, Bridge, Tiago, Makelele, Lampard, Duff (Jarosik 86), Drogba (Gudjohnsen 67), Robben (J Cole 90).
Manchester Utd 1, Chelsea 3
(May 4th, 2005, Premiership)
THE UNITED players formed a guard of honour as Chelsea took to the field, having won their first league title in 50 years. They celebrated that success with a 3-1 victory, Tiago, Eidur Gudjohnsen and Joe Cole getting their goals after van Nistelrooy had given United an early lead.
The win saw Chelsea beat United's Premiership points record of 93, the champions finishing the season on 95, 22 ahead of United who finished third.
MANCHESTER UTD: Carroll, G Neville, Brown, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Fletcher (Saha 72), Keane, Scholes, Ronaldo, Rooney, van Nistelrooy.
CHELSEA: Cudicini, Johnson (Jarosik 72), Carvalho, Huth, Gallas, Geremi, Tiago, Makelele, Lampard, Joe Cole, Gudjohnsen (Morais 86).
Manchester Utd 1, Chelsea 0
(November 5th, 2005, Premiership) DARREN FLETCHER'S first-half header gave Alex Ferguson, on the 19th anniversary of his appointment as United manager, his only victory over Chelsea during Jose Mourinho's reign. The win, though, merely moved United within 10 points of top-of-the-table Chelsea, who went on to win the title by eight points.
MANCHESTER UTD: Van der Sar, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Brown, Silvestre, Fletcher, Smith, Scholes, Rooney, van Nistelrooy (Park 82), Ronaldo.
CHELSEA: Cech, Ferreira, Gallas, Terry, Del Horno (C Cole 78), Essien (Gudjohnsen 55), Makelele, Lampard, Joe Cole (Wright-Phillips 74), Drogba, Duff.
Chelsea 3, Manchester Utd 0
(April 6th, 2006, Premiership)
NEEDING ONLY a point to seal their second consecutive Premier League title Chelsea beat United with ease, but the post-match headlines were dominated by Wayne Rooney who fractured his metatarsal during the game, just weeks before the World Cup.
William Gallas, Joe Cole and Ricardo Carvalho scored the goals that ended United's league challenge with two games still to go, Chelsea finishing the season eight points clear.
CHELSEA: Cech, Ferreira, Carvalho, Terry, Gallas, Makelele, Joe Cole (Crespo 76), Essien, Lampard, Robben (Duff 66), Drogba (Maniche 85).
MANCHESTER UTD: Van der Sar, G Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Silvestre, Ronaldo (van Nistelrooy 64), O'Shea, Giggs (Richardson 73), Park, Rooney (Evra 82), Saha.
Chelsea 1, Manchester Utd 0
(May 7th, 2007, FA Cup final)
MOURINHO COMPLETED his collection of English trophies when Didier Drogba got the only goal of a drab game in extra time, just when the cup final seemed destined for a penalty shoot-out. United, then, were denied a league and cup double, but at least had thwarted Chelsea's quest for three Premier league titles in a row that season.
CHELSEA: Cech, Ferreira, Essien, Terry, Bridge, Obi, Makelele, Lampard, Wright-Phillips (Kalou 93), Drogba, Joe Cole (Robben 46) (A Cole ,108).
MANCHESTER UTD: Van der Sar, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Heinze, Fletcher (Smith 92), Scholes, Carrick (O'Shea 112), Ronaldo, Rooney, Giggs (Solskjaer 112).
