Chelsea are still in the FA Cup after staging one of their greatest comback in history.
In a remarkable second half and already 2-0 down, the Blues produced perhaps their best 45 minutes of the season to claw their way back into the Quarter Final tie at Old Trafford to draw 2-2 to force a replay at Stamford Bridge.
If the first - half was shambolic from the Londoners' point of view, the second period, by contrast was sublime.
Goals from Ramires and a brilliant curling effort from substitute Eden Hazard cancelled out the first-half strikes from Javier Hernandez and Wayne Rooney.
Chelsea had united on the ropes in the closing stages and could even have won it at he death, but United goalkeeper David De Gea prevented Fernando Torres and Hazard from sealing a remarkable turnaround.
With a replay date yet to be confirmed, the Blues can consider themselves lucky to still be in the competition based on the first half, where they could easily have being four goals down. But as holders they have at last shown the steel and determination that made them European champions.
Both sides started off tentatively with the middle of the park seeing all the action, but as soon as the home side ventured forward they scored.
Five minutes in and a simple lofted ball by Michael Carrick bisected the Chelsea rearguard and allowed Javier Hernandez to sneak unopposed into the penalty area. On the left hand apex of the six-yard box he simply lobbed a header towards goal.
With Petr Cech stuck in no mans' land, the ball sailed over his head and dropped into the back of his net to put Manchester United 1-0 up.
Five minutes later and this FA Cup quarter -final tie was effectively over.
After Victor Moses had upended Nani on the left, just outside the Chelsea penalty area, up stepped Wayne Rooney to curl the perfect right-footed free- kick that bypassed the desperate jump of David Luiz and needed up in the back of Cech's net.
Chelsea had a great chance to pull a goal back n 22 minutes but Frank Lampard's side-footed effort just inside the United area was weak and went straight into the grateful palms of David De Gea.
Hernandez conspired to miss with a clipped half-volley a minute later as the game see-sawed from one end to another.
Cech had to be at his best to make two fine stops - firstly denying Rooney from close range and then, most bizarrely of all, tipping over a silly header from his own centre-half Luiz.
A long-range wayward effort by Cahill on 27 minutes signalled the disarray and desperation of the away side.
Demba Ba tried a similar effort three minutes later. The best that could be said for it was that at least he made De Gea make a save not that the daisy-cutter was ever a threat to his goal.
Interim Chelsea Rafael Benitez sent out the same side for the second half.
That lasted precisely six minutes when Benitez failed to endear himself to the Chelsea fans by taking off Lampard and Moses, bringing in Mikel and Eden Hazard.
Quite why he did not make the change at half-time is anybodies, guess.
The change brought about the visitors best period of pressure which resulted on 58 minutes in De Gea gathering up, at the second attempt, a Luiz shot from 20 yards.
A minute later and the Blues produced their first piece of magic with the result that Hazard found himself on the edge of the United area, on the left. The Belgium midfielder collected the pass for Mata, took one touch and curled an inch-perfect right-footed effort past the helpless dive of De Gea to bring Chelsea back into the game.
United's response was to bring on Robin Van Persie for Hernandez.
That failed to work and the Blues produced a remarkable comeback on 68 minutes when, a quick counter-attack saw Ba pass to Oscar, who in turn fed Ramires on the right.
The Brazil midfielder cut inside and just inside the penalty area, released a curling
left-footer which De Gea got the tips of his fingers to, but could not prevent the ball settling into the back of the United net.
Benitez, perhaps feeling bullish in seeing his substitutions work, decided to bring on Fernando Torres for Ba with 13 minutes to go.
Mata had a glorious chance with seconds to go to win the match but he saw his deft left foot shot clip off the heels of De Gea.
Torres had an effort deep into added time, but just like with very late efforts from Hazard, De Gea was equal to the task.
Teams:
Manchester United: De Gea, Rafael, Evra, Ferdinand, Evans, Rooney, Hernandez, Carrick, Nani, Cleverley, Kagawa
Subs: Valencia, Anderson, Vidic, Young, Welbck, Van Persie, Amos
Chelsea: Cech, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill, Cole, Lampard, Mata, Oscar, Moses, Ramires, Ba
Subs: Ivanovic, Torres, Mikel, Hazard, Turnbull, Terry, Bertrand
Referee: Howard Webb