LONDON: Chelsea striker Diego Costa struck in stoppage time against Manchester United to maintain his scoring streak under interim manager Guus Hiddink, ensuring a 1-1 stalemate in Sunday’s meeting of fallen Premier League powers.

Costa rounded goalkeeper David De Gea to net his sixth goal in seven league appearances under Hiddink and cancel out Jesse Lingard’s 61st-minute volley.

Although Hiddink’s unbeaten record since replacing Jose Mourinho in December was preserved, Chelsea has drawn most of its league games - six of nine - to leave the defending champions mired in 13th place.

While Chelsea’s only way to qualify for the Champions League is by winning the continental competition, the draw is more damaging for United, which is six points from neighbor Manchester City in fourth.

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.

United dictated large parts of the game, making an assertive start at Stamford Bridge, passing with precision and speed across the field.

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.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2016