Diego Costa salvaged an undeserved point for Chelsea deep into added time as Manchester United rued their missed opportunities to put the Londoners to the sword.
Draw specialist interim manager Guus Hiddink has now overseen six draws in eight league games with two wins to keep is unbeaten record intact.
That might look good for him, but it still leaves Chelsea languishing in 13th place, 24 points off leaders Leicester City.
Bizarrely had it not been for United goalkeeper David de Gea being on top form, Chelsea might had struck an even later winner, again from the boot of Costa.
Draws will not do the Blues any good and will give hope to those sides just below them.
The opening phase saw the visitors in the driving seat forcing the Blues back to defend to the edge of their penalty area. Three corners in the opening six minutes a testimony to their superiority.
A long range effort from Michael Carrick on 13 minutes the first effort on goal by either side was easily held by Thibaut Courtois.
But too many misplaced passes by the Blues characterised their sluggish approach to the game.
Only Willian injected any pace, when he went on a long, straight run, which inevitably petered out.
Anthony Martial forced Courtois into a brilliant save on 18 minutes, tipping the Frenchman's rasping right-footed curler from the edge of the penalty area around his left post.
Chelsea's first corner of the game, in 26 mi, came to nothing, except Diego Costa found someone to whinge to referee Michael Oliver about.
Matic forc d David De Gea into a 'Hollywood' save when he headed goal wards from a Willian former.
The diving save looked spectator in super slo-mo on TV and just as good live. Minute by minute, the Blues got a foothold on the game and a nice Cesc Fabregas pass to Costa saw the striker flash the ball across De Gea's body but well wide of goal.
Oscar missed an excellent chance a minute later on 32 minutes, but flashed his shot wide of goal.
A mazy run by Willian almost saw Oscar a lot the ball home from close range, but the Brazilian midfielder was a tad too late to Willian's byline cross.
Chelsea though they had a penalty call turned down seconds before halftime when. John Terry shot hit the arm of Danny Blind. But Oliver waved away the appeal.
There were no changes of personnel at half-time. But the half restarted as the first with U tied on top. Rooney and Martial both went wide.
This signalled the arrival of Eden Hazard for ineffectual Oscar on 54 minutes.
Seconds later and the game ended for u lucky Kurt Zouma, who saw his right leg buckled when he landed awkwardly.
Gary Cahill was the obvious replacement.
But a goal was coming and it was the visitors who deservedly broke the deadlock on 62 minutes.
A fine byline cross by Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, on the left was touched on by Rooney to Jesse Lingard, who facing away from goal, turned brilliantly and struck a fine right-foot hign and wide of Courtois, who had no chance to save the effort.
Matic was instantly sacrificed for attacking midfielder Pedro. The Blues were unlucky to have De Gea in good form as the Spain stopper tipped over a Branislav Ivanovic blaster on 67 minutes and tipped round the post a goal bound effort from Fabregas.
Deep into injury time and a dinked pass by Fabregas,saw Costa evade the offside trap, round De Gea and slot home an unlucky equaliser.
De Gea was on hand seconds later to parry away a Costa rasper.
Next up is a home match against Newcastle United on Saturday.
Teams, Chelsea, Courtois; Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry (c), Azpi; Mikel, Matic; Willian, Fabregas, Oscar; Diego Costa.
Subs, Begovic, Baba, Cahill, Loftus-Cheek, Pedro, Traore, Hazard.
Man Utd, De Gea; Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Borthwick-Jackson; Carrick, Fellaini; Lingard, Mata, Martial; Rooney (c).
Subs, Romero, Memphis, Herrera, Schneiderlin, Varela, McNair, Perreira
Referee, Michael Oliver