Javier Hernandez celebrates a goal against Chelsea

United v Chelsea: Watch four classic encounters

Tuesday 05 December 2023 11:30

Manchester United have a quick opportunity to put a few things right when Chelsea visit Old Trafford on Wednesday night (20:15 GMT).

Erik ten Hag will be looking for a response to Saturday's disappointment at Newcastle United, when the Blues arrive to contest what has been one of the top flight's standout fixtures over the years.

The Stamford Bridge club have been among our most regular rivals during the modern era, and have lifted five Premier League titles since 2003 when Roman Abramovich became owner of the club.

Between 2005 and 2011, the two clubs passed the trophy back and forth, and duelled in many riveting games. But even before that, Chelsea always developed exciting, entertaining teams, and were one of the few sides that regularly won at Old Trafford when we were at our most imperious in the 1990s.

To mark the release of our United v Chelsea digital collectible, which you can claim now at collectibles.manutd.com, we've chosen four epic encounters against the Londoners, with the first cracker featuring magical strikes from Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs...

Chelsea 1 United 4 Video

Chelsea 1 United 4

21 October 1995: A vintage performance as United outclass Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Paul Scholes shines once more...

CHELSEA 1 UNITED 4 (1995/96)
 
Few opponents struck fear into Reds' hearts like Chelsea in the 1990s. United lost only three league games at Old Trafford from 1993 to 1996, and our visitors from West London were responsible for two of them (Nottingham Forest the other). But they couldn't always contain the Reds talent, and a memorable day in the capital in October 1995 saw Alex Ferguson's side run riot. Scholes scored twice – the second to cap a glorious team move full of slick one-touch passing – before a dizzying solo effort from Giggs put the result beyond doubt. Chelsea's goal was scored by former Reds striker Mark Hughes, incidentally.
United 2 Chelsea 1 Video

United 2 Chelsea 1

18 January 2003: Diego Forlan's late strike gave the Reds three priceless points against title rivals Chelsea...

UNITED 2 CHELSEA 1 (2002/03)
 
Even before Chelsea reached their Premier League peak under Jose Mourinho in the mid-noughties, the Blues were an exciting side. In January 2003, they turned up in M16 and played some stunning stuff, deservedly going ahead through Eidur Gudjohnsen. But United fought back when Scholes headed home a trademark David Beckham swinger and, in the dying moments, Diego Forlan crashed home Juan Sebastian Veron's glorious searching pass, to secure us a vital three points on the way to a hard-earned eighth Premier League title.
United 3 Chelsea 0 Video

United 3 Chelsea 0

11 January 2009: The Reds overtook Chelsea in second place with goals from Vidic, Rooney and Berbatov...

UNITED 3 CHELSEA 0 (2008/09)
 
One of United's finest displays against Chelsea came just after New Year in January 2009. The Blues had faced us in the Champions League final the previous year, underlining that this contest had a reasonable shout at boasting the continent's two finest club sides. But, with Giggs running the show from an unexpected central midfield role, the Reds ran amok, taking the Blues to the cleaners with the kind of dominant performance that rarely graces this fixture. Goals from Nemanja Vidic, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov did the damage, and helped us keep the pressure on temporary league leaders Liverpool.
Chelsea 2 United 3 Video

Chelsea 2 United 3

28 October 2012: A thriller that saw the Reds taste victory at Stamford Bridge for the first time in over a decade...

CHELSEA 2 UNITED 3 (2012/13)
 
One of the most dramatic meetings between these two clubs in recent years, this October 2012 humdinger had it all. Two red cards (for Chelsea, thankfully), a blistering United start, followed by a stirring comeback from the hosts, before a typical poacher's finish from substitute Javier Hernandez, who nabbed the winner. Remarkably, this was our first league win at Stamford Bridge since April 2002 – a statistic that underlines just how tough Chelsea have been as Premier League opponents. An own goal by David Luiz and Robin van Persie strike had provided the two-goal lead, only for future Reds midfielder Juan Mata and Ramires to get on the scoresheet for the hosts. Branislav Ivanovic and Fernando Torres were the two Blues dismissed.

COLLECT UNITED: CHELSEA

Collect United is our series of free digital collectibles, giving you the chance to ‘own the moment’ in the build-up to each of our men’s and women’s home games in league and European competition.

What’s more, growing your collection of these unique pieces of artwork unlocks benefits and gives you a chance to win VIP rewards – visit collectibles.manutd.com to learn more.

The players who feature in our United v Chelsea collectible – Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay – were chosen by fans in a vote on our Discord channel during the recent international break.

And the window to claim this free gift is open now until full-time on Wednesday (around 22:15 GMT).

You can get yours by heading straight to collectibles.manutd.com and following these steps:

1. SIGN IN TO THE COLLECTIBLES WEBSITE

Once you've visited collectibles.manutd.com, click Sign In, Use Social and finally your choice of Google, Facebook or X (formerly Twitter) account.

2. CREATE YOUR FREE DIGITAL WALLET

 Signing in with your chosen social account will create an online wallet where you can store all the matchday tokens you claim throughout 2023/24. How many will you have by the end of the season? Why not challenge your friends and see who can build the biggest collection.

3. COLLECT NOW

Click this button on the collectibles.manutd.com homepage to find the latest token, and again on the next page to unlock and add it to your digital wallet. Then you're done! 

TERMS & CONDITIONS

Manchester United’s officially licensed Digital Collectibles, powered by Tezos and brought to you by Tezos ecosystem companies, are a form of cryptoasset. Manchester United Digital Collectibles have been issued as a collectible item and not an investment. However, it is important that you keep in mind that: 

1. Manchester United Digital Collectibles are not currently regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK and are not covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service or the Financial Services Compensation Scheme;  

2. the value of Manchester United Digital Collectibles is variable and can go down as well as up; 

3. tax may be payable on any profits made on the sale of Manchester United Digital Collectibles; and

4. for those Digital Collectibles which require purchase, the decision to purchase Manchester United Digital Collectibles requires careful thought and consideration. You should seek independent financial advice if you are in doubt. You should not purchase any cryptoassets if you do not fully understand the nature of your purchase and the risks involved.

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