90+4 min: Chelsea have a free-kick but seem in no rush to take it. Terry goes up from the back, but it’s another poor set-piece.

90+3 min: Oscar, perhaps hobbling from that Rooney challenge, comes off for Loftus-Cheek. Hiddink seems very happy with the draw.

90+1 min: A very nasty challenge from Rooney! He loses his footing and stretches for the ball, but misses it completely and catches Oscar high up on his calf. Ouch! There will be stud marks on Oscar, no question. That could have been a red, but Martin Atkinson only dishes out a yellow.

90 min: Three minutes added on for injury time.

89 min: Memphis sets off down the left – he looks keen to test Ivanovic’s legs – but mis-controls the ball and kicks it straight out for a Chelsea throw in. Oh dear.

87 min: Hazard is looking increasingly isolated. He skips past two challenges but has no support and is forced to turn back for help. “Attack, attack, attack” shout the away Chelsea fans, somewhat ironically.

86 min: Miss from Rooney! Ooooooh, that’s United’s best opening of the second half. Borthwick-Jackson gets to the byline and whips a delicious cross to the back post. It comes at Rooney quickly, but the striker can’t sort his feet out in time and volleys the ball high and wide. Should really have done better. Borthwick-Jackson has looked lively since coming on.

84 min: Schweinsteiger looks knackered. Mikel outmuscles the German to win the ball back for Chelsea.

83 min: “What does the manager do? asks Prateek Chadha. “Take off his best attacker and waste his two other substitutions on like for like changes at left back and centre back. Is it any wonder this team lacks the belief to win?”

81 min: Manchester United make their final change: Jones coming on for Blind at centre-back. Doesn’t exactly scream ‘let’s go and win this game’ does it?

80 min: Pedro tries a nutmeg on the edge of his own area, and swiftly loses the ball. Hiddink shows his anger on the sidelines for the first time, his face red and round. Chelsea eventually break forward with Ramires, but Schneiderlin makes an excellent challenge to quell any danger. That’s what he does so well.

78 min: Young breaks down the right hand side, and neither Oscar or Ramires make no effort to close down the right back and stop the cross. Terry gets a header on the ball to flick the ball clear. Chelsea looking tired. They can’t retain the ball.

76 min: Memphis is on for Mata. The Dutchman has played under Hiddink at international level.

74 min: Zouma is forced into a panicked clearance straight to Mata, who lofts a delightful pass through to Rooney. The England forward completely misses his kick, and Courtois collects the ball. Rooney was ruled offside, but he didn’t know that.

72 min: Hazard is booked, perhaps harshly, as his temper spills over, clattering into Young: not a bad challenge, but definitely a foul.

70 min: Zouma shows his pace, sprinting to slide in on Martial, who briefly got away from his compatriot down the left. Good tackle.

68 min: And here they are. Willian coming off for Ramires. Willian has comfortably been Chelsea’s best player this season but never really got into the game.

Manchester United also make a sub: Borthwick-Jackson comes on for Darmian. Straight swap.

67 min: Three Chelsea subs, including Ramires, Baba and Loftus-Cheek, are warming up on the sidelines. Only Borthwick-Jackson is out on the sidelines for the home side. Expect changes soon.

65 min: Hazard jinks left and right and whips in a dangerous cross into the near post area, which De Gea gathers easily. Hazard throws his arms up in despair, there wasn’t a Chelsea within 10 yards of that cross. That’s what you get when you don’t play a centre-forward.

63 min: Cameras are going back to an incident with Willian a few minutes ago: the Brazilian clearly handles the ball in the box. Definite penalty, that. Martin Atkinson, today’s referee, is yet to award a penalty to any team this season, by the way.

61 min: From a United corner, Herrera completely mis-times his header and Pedro is away. He travels 30 yards at pace, looks up, and United are completely over-committed. It’s an easy pass to Matic, and the Serbian is clean through! One touch, two, the midfielder has time to get his head up an… blasts it over the bar. Awful, awful finish.

59 min: Hiddink has got to get Ivanovic off. He’s being torn a new one, and still looks completely devoid of confidence. Chelsea do have defensive options on the bench, although, in fairness, they don’t look great either: Baba and Djilobodji.

57 min: “Following your MBM coverage in Goa upon discovering the key to my scooter is locked away for the night...otherwise I’d be on Palolem Beach watching along with the salty expats,’ emails Damien Neva. “Come on, Chelsk!”

55 min: WHAT. A. SAVE. Chelsea just can’t live with Martial at the moment: the Frenchman gets to the byline on the left, cuts the ball low across goal and Herrera slides in to tap the ball i… no! The Belgian spreads himself and the ball ricochets off his chest and then his arm and trickles wide. That could have gone anywhere, but somehow it’s still 0-0. One might argue that Herrera should have given Courtois no chance, needed a better connection on Martial’s cross.

52 min: United starting the second half in much the same manner they started the first: well.

Kyle Leonard writes: “Guus Hiddink actually played with George Best on 1980s as part of the San Jose Earthquake #Uselesstrivia”

I like that hashtag.

50 min: Martial stands up Ivanovic, goes past him and is sent crashing to the ground. No free-kick! Martial is furious. That looked like a free-kick right on the edge of Chelsea’s box. Willian has got to give his right-back more cover.

48 min: Double save from De Gea! Hazard skips away from two markers and feeds Pedro, who takes his shot early. De Gea is nearly taken off guard and only parries the ball into Pedro’s path! The Spaniard scuffs his first-time shot, with the ball kicking off the turf, but De Gea sticks out a left arm and turns the ball behind. Great goalkeeping! That second save in particular was a bit special.

46 min: Ivanovic just did a Zidane Roulette! Free kick to Chelsea.

The teams are back out. Here we go again. Guus Hiddink has a quite magnificent tan. Peeeep!

45 min: One minute added on. Herrera this time becomes the hunted, Pedro bringing him down wide on the left. Another poor free-kick, easily cleared by Mikel.

44 min: Hazard is getting an absolute hiding out there. He is first chopped down by Blind. Then, when Hazard gets to his feet and takes a quick free kick, Herrera piles in for a second United foul in 20 seconds. Martin Atkinson plays advantage, Matic this time carrying the ball forward … Herrera fouls him again. Chelsea’s boys are NOT HAPPY. They give Atkinson an earful.

“United are getting away with murder out there,” emails J.R. in Illinois. “Atkinson has no control over this game and Chelsea, with good reason, are fuming. I expect something crazy to happen in the second half.

42 min: More good hold up play from Rooney, who lays it back to Schweinsteiger on the edge … 20 yards over the bar. The German never looked comfortable on his left foot.

41 min: “United are playing with a lot of confidence. They are playing for the manager, there is no doubt about that,” says BT Sport co-commentator Glenn Hoddle. It’s true, they’ve looked excellent this half. I’m be very surprised to hear any boos ringing out at half-time.

39 min: United have completed 247 passes so far. Chelsea have completed 90. But the London side are looking dangerous on the break. Hazard skips past Smalling, but the England defender brings Chelsea’s No10 crashing to the turf. Yellow card.

38 min: United’s intensity has dropped. The pace of the game has died a little.

“Can I just say it’s wonderful to see two teams outside the Premier’s elite really making a game of it” says Daniel Montefusco, presumably from an ivory tower in Leicester.

36 min: Arsenal are 1-0 up. Another Ozil assist. Follow it here.

34 min: More mis-timed tackles: this time from Herrera on Hazard, who is taking a bit of a kicking. He was the most fouled player in the Premier League last season and you can see why –he always manages to get his body across to shield the ball and invite a challenge.

32 min: Things are hotting up: Terry slides in on Rooney. Good tackle, and Chelsea break forward. They are coming more and more into this game. Hazard is dropping deep from his centre-forward position and neither United’s defence or midfield is picking him up.

31 min: Schneiderlin is booked for sliding in on Willian, who also went to ground. That’s harsh, really. The two collided into each other, and neither really won the ball. Schneiderlin looks utterly bemused at the card, Willian limps off to receive some treatment, before trotting back on.

29 min: Man of the match so far: Ashley Young. He’s provided width and verve going forward and now he makes his second big defensive contribution: making an inch-perfect slide tackle on Azpilicueta (?!!) who was dribbling into United’s box after a quick break from Pedro.

27 min: John Obi Mikel John Obi Mikels Martial. Yellow card. Another cynical challenge, the Nigerian was about half an hour late with Martial sprinting away to set up a dangerous counter-attack.

26 min: Hazard is cynically brought down by Young. No yellow card. It should have been, Young was way out of position and the converted full-back knew exactly what he was doing.

24 min: A poor kick from Courtois is far too short and United spring forward for another attack. Once again, United have Chelsea two on one at the back, but Mata chooses his pass poorly, and Terry intercepts with his head, with Rooney lurking behind. Waste.

22 min: Martial goes down in the area … no penalty! He is so direct with his running, but simply ran into Zouma. Correct decision.

20 min: Southampton have taken the lead at West Ham. Tadic has got the opener there. You can follow the latest in our clockwatch, with Gerard Meagher. If you like.

18 min: It’s all United at the moment. Chelsea can’t get out of their half.

17 min: United hit the post! That’s the second time Courtois’s goal has been rattled. Martial’s cuts in from the left wing, goes past Ivanovic like he’s not there, and rifles a low shot against the base of the near post. The ball rebounds across the line, and spins out for a goal kick. United are getting closer, Ivanovic badly needs some help. Willian is not tracking back.

16 min: Darmian looks to have the beating of Ivanovic on Chelsea’s left flanks. United’s full-backs playing very high, giving their team width.

14 min: Oscar slips bringing the ball out of the back, and Herrera nips in. For a moment, United are two-on-one going forward, but Oscar makes a magnificent recovering challenge to make up for the error.

12 min: Blind is playing centre-back today, but twice he canters into Chelsea’s half with the ball, and slips a slide-rule pass inside Chelsea’s right-back, Ivanovic. Damian latches onto the ball but his cross fails to find a team-mate. Blind looks good going forward like that, but he’s leaving space at the back, and counter-attacking Chelsea will be dangerous is they can nick the ball of him.

10 min: Rooney has started well, linking the play. He’s staying quite high, too, which is causing Terry and Zouma a few problems. With his back to goal, he lays a bouncing ball back to Schneiderlin to strike, but the Frenchman’s shot is always sliding away from Courtois’ left-hand post. Goal kick.

8 min: Young bombs forward and wins United a corner. Blind walks across to take an inswinger … and fails to beat the first Chelsea man at the front post. That’s the second poor corner this game from the Dutchman.

6 min: What a game we have on our hands here. The atmosphere in the stadium is electric, too.

5 min: Point-blank save from De Gea! From the resulting corner, Terry loses his marker (Rooney) and flicks a header goalwards from four/five yards out. De Gea sticks out a right hand and somehow claws the ball over the bar. What a save, amazing reactions.

4 min: So nearly a goal for Pedro! A slip from Blind lets Hazard in on the right, with the Belgian dribbling to the byline and firing a low cross across the six-yard box. Young, well-positioned at the back post, hacks it behind. Good defending, he could so easily have sliced that into his own goal.

3 min: Mata thunders a shot against the crossbar! Young takes a quick throw in, Rooney neatly turns it around the corner and Mata finds a pocket of space in front of the back four before lacing a rasping drive towards the top corner but the ball cannons off the bar and away.

1 min: John Obi Mikel has absolutely bossed the first minute of this match. Two passes backwards and one sideways. Stay tuned for updates.

Peeeeeep! And we’re off!

The teams are out! United in red, with white shorts, Chelsea in all blue. Louis van Gaal walks out, waving to the crowd and giving them a thumbs up. He gets a warm-ish round of applause in response.

“You claim that football ‘breaks up the monotony of staring into the abyss’”, emails Kári Tulinius. “But watching Wayne Rooney play football nowadays is 90 minutes spent contemplating the inexorable decay wrought by time on all living things.”

Enjoy the game!

Does anybody understand this t-shirt? (on sale outside Old Trafford for £10, for anybody nearby)

“Lifelong United fan here,” writes Matt Richman. “My thoughts are that a combination of style of play and results (given the lavish investment and no little amount of time) are enough evidence that LVG is not our man. That said, neither is that clown, Mourinho. I’m hoping that Giggs is given a chance until the end of the season, after which I’d like Pep or Pellegrini (who really is a class act). Let me dream, please.”

Pellegrini? Agree, class act, but can’t see him trotting across town.

Rémy is injured. So says Hiddink.

Looking forward to seeing Schneiderlin this afternoon. He hasn’t played a single minute since 5 December, but United have lost just one of the 16 matches that the Frenchman has been involved in this season. His last two appearances have resulted in a clean sheet for United. After having £25m spent on his in the summer, it doesn’t seem like he’s been given a chance. But he adds bite and legs to a tired-looking midfield today, alongside Schweinsteiger.

‘What has been your message to the team?’ LVG is asked.

“Win.”

Ah, so turns out that results thing is important. Who knew.

“Everything is about results,” says former Chelsea wonderboy and current Manchester United man Juan Mata in a pre-match interview. He starts today on the right of midfield for the home side.

Winning is important, but United fans, would you take a 2-2 draw if it came through a display of attacking, free-flowing football? The style of Manchester United’s play, or lack thereof, seems as important as results to some fans. Email michael.butler@theguardian.com or tweet @michaelbutler18, please.

Chelsea are without a striker today, in their starting XI and on the bench. Fabregas is ill, apparently, but there is no explanation for why Rémy isn’t involved.

“Speaking of Liverpool fans, as I am one, the surest sign of shifting fortunes is that I feel sorry for LVG,” emails Hubert O’Hearn. A re-building, injury-wracked squad has a mid-season slump; this is a sackable offence?”

I think the sentiment around Van Gaal has more to do with poor transfer policy, the dour style of football and the Dutchman triumphantly leading his team out of the Champions League.

“Premature half-scarf-buying Unted fans needn’t worry. If Mourinho is appointed manager, he will put the “i” firmly back in United,” zings Peter Oh. “A Liverpool fan, wishing for the dourest of 0:0 draws in this one. Happy New Year!”

Happy New Year Peter!

I don’t think that is interesting what they [the headlines] do to me. I have said they have to stick by the facts. The scrutiny is all right for me, I’m used to that. You have to stick by the facts and not rubbish” Louis van Gaal, 26/12/15

The last time Manchester United lost five competitive matches in a row, Queen Elizabeth II was 10 years old, Jesse Owens had just won four Olympic gold medals and Nat King Cole had just brought out his first record. That was in 1936 – a miserable run of defeats for United which included a 6-2 loss at Grimsby Town and a 5-2 walloping to Liverpool.

Fast forward to 2015, and after four defeats on the trot, it’s do or die time for Louis van Gaal. Many thought that the Dutchman would not be manager of United for this crucial clash against Chelsea. In his pre-Christmas press conference, he simply walked out. Against Stoke on Boxing Day, he didn’t fare much better. Speculation is rife. The knives are out. If the scarves being sold outside Old Trafford are anything to go by – which, really, they shouldn’t be – LVG is a dead-man walking regardless of the result today. We’ll wait and see about that.

For better or worse, Chelsea acted decisively earlier this month to dispose of José Mourinho. A 3-1 win over Sunderland and a 2-2 draw at home to Watford have since meant that … not a lot has changed. Under Guus Hiddink, Chelsea are still teetering just above the relegation zone, Roman Abramovich is still rich and Diego Costa is still a big man with a good touch and a bad temperament. The Spaniard is suspended today, thanks to a needless, reckless slide tackle in the closing moments of the Watford encounter.

The players might be tired, after a rest of just one day, but the festive appetite for watching men kick a ball around and watching slightly older sidelined men wincing and nervously pointing at charts is very much alive. Keep your winter break, we need this, a (hopefully) beautiful game to break up the monotony of Connect Four, 50% sales and staring into the abyss.

Kick off: 5.30pm GMT