Chelsea avenge their previous loss to rivals Manchester United in the controversial game earlier this week with their 5-4 win yesterday.
Daniel Sturridge and Ramires struck in extra time as Chelsea avenged their controversial weekend loss to Manchester United with a breathless 5-4 win to reach the League Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday.
But it took Eden Hazard's penalty in the final seconds of normal time at Stamford Bridge to save the Blues from falling to a second successive 3-2 defeat at the hands of Alex Ferguson's side.
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There were fewer contentious decisions than in the previous meeting, but referee Lee Mason was still the focus of attention, awarding three penalties and correctly judging that Gary Cahill's 52nd-minute header crossed the line.
United led three times in the tie -- through Ryan Giggs, Nani, and Javier Hernandez -- and were pegged back by a David Luiz penalty and Cahill's header, before Hazard produced a third equaliser.
Eden Hazard celebrates his equalising goal that took u00a0the game to extra time. Photo: AFP
Chelsea then took control in extra time, with Sturridge and Ramires each rounding Anders Lindegaard to give Chelsea a two-goal advantage and Giggs' 120th-minute spot-kick coming too late to kick-start a United revival.
Any meeting between these two teams carries with it an extra edge and the tension was intensified in the wake of United's league win.
Then, Chelsea were left enraged at the decision of Mark Clattenburg to send off two home players -- Branislav Ivanovic and Fernando Torres -- before Hernandez scored United's winning goal from an offside position.
And the fall-out from that game was felt hours before kick-off when Chelsea confirmed that they have lodged a formal complaint with the Football Association over the language directed at John Mikel Obi by Clattenburg.
Chelsea made six changes and United 10, yet while the personnel had changed significantly from the previous meeting, the intensity of the game was unchanged.
United made the breakthrough in the 22nd minute as they capitalised on the first of Chelsea's costly defensive mistakes.
Petr Cech rolled a goal-kick out to Oriol Romeu on the edge of his area, where the Spaniard was quickly pressured by Anderson and Giggs, and when the ball broke, Giggs stroked home for his first goal since February.
Chelsea responded quickly and were level nine minutes later when Luiz converted from the spot after Victor Moses had been tripped by Alexander Buttner, leaving Mason with no option but to award the penalty.
Both sides were creating chances although it was the Chelsea defence that looked the more vulnerable against the pace and movement of Hernandez, Danny Welbeck and Anderson.
And they were guilty of once again creating problems for themselves when Luiz attempted to run the ball out from the back and gifted United the chance to restore their lead in the 43rd minute.
Luiz was robbed by Rafael on the halfway line before Anderson picked out Hernandez's run through the gap at the heart of the home defence and the Mexico striker finished clinically with his left foot.
United may have had the advantage at the interval but Chelsea's response after the break ensured they could never consider themselves comfortable.
The home side forced themselves level when Cahill headed home from Mata's corner.
It took the decision of the assistant referee to confirm the ball had crossed the line before Rafael headed the ball out, but replays confirmed the match officials made the correct decision.
Yet having got themselves back into the game, Chelsea were again opened up when Nani exchanged passes with Anderson before clipping the ball over Cech to make it 3-2 in the 59th minute.
Chelsea responded impressively but their chance appeared to have gone until Scott Wootton barged into Ramires as the Brazilian was about to shoot, handing Hazard the chance to level and setting up a dramatic denouement.
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