Van Gaal gets angry: ‘Just write what you like’

But a stoppage time equalizer from Diego Costa saved a point for the hosts.

Manchester United star Juan Mata has praised Chelsea fans after they gave him a warm reception when he returned to Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Within minutes United was in front, with Cameron Borthwick-Jackson’s cross teed up by Rooney for Lingard to volley on the turn into the net.

A first win for Arsenal in four games took them level on 48 points with second-placed Tottenham Hotspur, their bitter local rivals who have a superior goal difference.

Chelsea left it late but finally equalised when Costa rounded Spain team mate David De Gea to score as they drew at home for the fourth straight league match, leaving them in 13th place on 30 points, 17 points from the Champions League places.

Nigeria’s Mikel Obi was in action for the entire duration of the match as he put on an A-game which helped his side.

The Spaniard spent two-and-a-half successful seasons at Chelsea before joining Manchester United in January 2014 after falling out of favour with then Blues boss Jose Mourinho.

With Luke Shaw, Antonio Valencia and Marcos Rojo all sidelined, the last thing Van Gaal needed was an injury to another full-back and, should Januzaj be ruled out for any of United’s upcoming games, it would be a huge blow to the young Belgian, who returned from a disappointing loan spell at Borussia Dortmund last month.

This was once one of the standout fixtures of the seasons but United’s decline since Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013 coupled with Chelsea’s unexpected slump has made it a sideshow. “The team spirit is good and as a collective group we’re doing well”, Mata told the club’s website (www.manutd.com).

After the draw with his former club, United’s man of the match Mata said: “We played very good football to be honest. They’re hard ones for the referee but inside the box, it’s going in, so it’s got to be a pen for me”. “We need to start winning and getting out of it. We were on a good early run but we’ve been drawing too many games of late”.

“I think we played a superb game until the last quarter”, Van Gaal continued.

Costa and Fabregas, in particular, linked up sublimely to allow the Brazilian-born striker to finish coolly and break United hearts in the dying seconds of today’s closely fought encounter.

“So, I think you can not do that, otherwise you don’t let them kick the corner because the six minutes has been passed”.

Manchester United are closing in on the transfer of highly-rated Chelsea midfielder Domingos Quina this season.