The injury-time equaliser is becoming a speciality at Stamford Bridge. From nowhere, Chelsea are now a team that fights to the end.

They deserved it here, just about. Manchester United showed ambition for an away team, but Chelsea probably had the best chances, and when Cesc Fabregas put Diego Costa through in the first minute of injury time, it produced a fair result. 

Costa eluded Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, who had blotted a good performance by dozily playing him onside, and slipped the ball past David de Gea. It was a sublime pass from Fabregas, but it was always going to take something special to beat De Gea in this form.

Diego Costa celebrates wildly after rescuing a point for Chelsea in injury-time against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge

Costa passes the ball into the empty net after keeping his cool in the closing moments to equalise for the Premier League champions

Chelsea captain John Terry joins in the celebrations with the Spain international after Costa’s late strike earned a deserved draw

Manchester united midfielder Jesse Lingard opened the scoring after a stunning turn and shot in the Chelsea penalty area

The 23-year-old midfielder celebrates with captain Wayne Rooney after firing Manchester United ahead with a brilliant finish

Chelsea captain Terry felt his side should have had a penalty on the stroke of half-time after his shot struck Daley Blind on the arm

Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma left the field on a stretcher after jarring his knee into the ground and landing awkwardly

MATCH FACTS, PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE 

CHELSEA XI (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Ivanovic, Zouma (Cahill 59), Terry, Azpilicueta; Obi Mikel, Matic (Pedro 67); Willian, Fabregas, Oscar (Hazard 54); Costa

Subs not used: Begovic, Baba, Traore, Loftus-Cheek

Scorer: Costa 91 

MANCHESTER UNITED XI (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Borthwick-Jackson; Fellaini (Schneiderlin 79), Carrick; Lingard (Memphis 86), Mata (Herrera 95), Martial; Rooney

Subs not used: Romero, McNair, Varela, Pereira

Scorer: Lingard 61

Booked: Lingard, Smalling 

Referee: Michael Oliver

Lingard opened the scoring with a stunning strike. Click here for more Match Zone

It was a pity for Borthwick-Jackson and for Louis Van Gaal, too. If this is to be his last season as Manchester United manager, the defenfder is one of two precious gifts he will leave behind. Borthwick-Jackson and Jesse Lingard: two youngsters that Van Gaal has elevated to first-team status. 

Yes, to some extent, by luck as much as judgement. Had Luke Shaw not suffered serious injury, it is hard to imagine Borthwick-Jackson getting sustained opportunities. Even so, it happened, and Van Gaal persevered. He has integrated Lingard into his forward line ahead of Memphis Depay, given Borthwick-Jackson the nod when other, more expensive, alternatives were available.

And on Sunday he was initially rewarded – with a goal that seemed to have put Manchester United back in contention for the Champions League spots, made and scored by his proteges.

It came in the 61st minute. Juan Mata fed Borthwick-Jackson on the left overlap, his cross was perfectly struck for Wayne Rooney and there was Lingard to plant it into the top corner of the net. He made it look easy, but it wasn’t. He had his back to goal but twisted and struck it on the turn, eluding Cesar Azpilicueta in the process.

Chelsea midfielder Willian looks to break down the Chelsea right as Manchester United left back Cameron Borthwick-Jackson gives chase

Nemanja Matic (left) battles with Marouane Fellaini for midfield supremacy during the tense early exchanges at Stamford Bridge

England manager Roy Hodgson was in attendance to cast his eye over Manchester United and Chelsea’s Euro 2016 hopefuls

Chelsea striker Costa (left) and Manchester United defender Chris Smalling keep their eyes on the ball as they tussle to win it

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich (left) takes his place in the Stamford Bridge directors’ box to watch his side in action against United

Costa (left) takes a tumble under a strong challenge from Manchester United and England centre back Smalling

Mitigation for Chelsea in that moment came with the horrid injury that left Kurt Zouma stricken just minutes before the goal. He jumped to make an unusual, volleyed clearance and landed on his right leg, his fully body weight passing through his knee, which buckled backwards. 

Zouma was screaming, his team-mates nearby looked ashen. Gary Cahill is no bad replacement but soon Chelsea were behind. By the end though, it was Manchester United who looked shaken. They remain six points off the Champions League places. Not down with the dead men like Chelsea; but not so far removed either.

If the locals needed any reminder of what will be missing when John Terry leaves the club, it was there in the final attack of the first-half. To begin with he shut out a Manchester United attack, then charged upfield to play a one-two with Cesc Fabregas in midfield. Reaching the opposing penalty area, the ball fell for him from Willian’s cross and he lashed it, goalbound. 

Manchester United forward Anthony Martial (left) brushes Branislav Ivanovic aside as the Serbian attempts to nick the ball away

Martial reacts with disappointment after seeing his superb strike tipped expertly wide by Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois

Beglium No 1 Courtois, at full stretch, managed to get fingertips on Martial’s effort as United dominated the opening 25 minutes

Daley Blind charged the ball down, with both hands in front of his face, and Chelsea appealed for handball. Referee Michael Oliver waved it away, contentiously it seems. Yes, Blind did not have much chance to take evasive action – but equally he didn’t have to throw himself at the ball with his arms up. Chelsea’s protests were furious – but, then again, they so frequently are.

Costa is a particularly overwrought claimant. In the 26th minute, when Chelsea mounted their first attack of the game – maybe that was a tribute to Terry, too, being his shirt number – it was Costa’s backheader from Willian’s corner that was diverted over. Oliver gave a goal-kick. He was wrong, but Costa’s reaction was furious – sprinting, screaming in his face. He did the same to a linesman soon after – then a serious call has to be made and Chelsea’s protests are airily waved away. Is it any wonder, when every little mistake provokes such a huge outcry?

Manchester United had the first 20 minutes of the half, Chelsea what remained. Another corner from Willian – this time from the right was met by Nemanja Matic and forced an excellent save from David De Gea. Soon after, he was flat footed after Willian and then Oscar combined to put Costa in, only for his shot to fly across the face of goal. 

Michael Carrick goes down under a challenge from Blues hitman Costa and the assistant referee flags for a foul against the striker

Chelsea striker Costa shouts at the assistant referee after disagreeing with the decision during the first half of the Premier League clash

Spain international Costa came close to opening the scoring with a low drive across goal but it flew past the post

Costa reacts with frustration after seeing his effort flash wide as David de Gea has words with his defence in the background

Chelsea midfielder Matic rises in the penalty area to beat Borthwick-Jackson to the ball and get a header on target

United goalkeeper De Gea was equal to the effort as he dives to his right and makes a comfortable enough save

It was all Chelsea by then, a minute passed before Nemanja Matic pulled the ball back for Cesar Azpilicueta finding Oscar in a good position, only to shoot over. Three minutes elapsed and Willian skinned Borthwick-Jackson driving the ball across the face of goal. This time Oscar couldn’t get a touch.

United had started well but then ceded control. Michael Carrick had a long range shot saved by Thibaut Courtois after 13 minutes, and the goalkeeper saved quite brilliantly when Anthony Martial cut inside and unleashed from the left soon after, his fingertips the only object between United and the opening goal.

Then, as so often happens, United were becalmed. Only when Marouane Fellaini – whose battle with Matic in midfield was a heavyweight contest well worth watching – headed a corner by Blind just wide did they return to life.

The second half began in much the same way, all the pressure coming from United. In the 50th minute, Wayne Rooney had a dipping shot saved by Courtois and three minutes later a curling effort from Jesse Lingaard was kept out just the same.

Terry strikes at goal after the ball falls to him in the area but it hits Blind on the arm and deflects behind for a corner

Chelsea skipper Terry instantly turns and looks in the direction of referee Michael Oliver to appeal for a penalty

Terry’s Chelsea team-mates join in the penalty appeals but referee Oliver waves them away and awards a corner to the home side

There was real concern for Chelsea’s French defender Zouma as he lay in agony on the Stamford Bridge turf before being carried off

Lingard controlled the ball, turned and shot all in one movement to pick out the top corner as United took the lead after 61 minutes

Lingard falls to the floor as he lets fly and the ball arrows towards the top corner giving Courtois no chance in the Chelsea goal

Lingard heads toward United captain Rooney and the travelling supporters in the corner of Stamford Bridge to celebrate the strike

The United players congratulate Lingard after his brilliant goal had looked to earn all three points at Stamford Bridge

But Costa popped up with an equaliser after latching on to Cesc Fabregas’ pass to leave United six points off the top-four pace