6 Talking Points From Stamford Bridge

It was always unlikely that Manchester United's Emirates FA Cup quarter-final clash with Chelsea would pass without incident, and Monday's meeting at Stamford Bridge certainly got people talking.

N'Golo Kante's goal ultimately brought the Reds' cup defence to an end and ManUtd.com's Ryan Grant was in attendance to see the action unfold. Here, he highlights six talking points from the game...

1: HERRERA'S FIRST-HALF RED CARD
Undoubtedly the pivotal moment, Ander Herrera's sending off 10 minutes before half-time changed the complexion of the whole game. The midfielder was, perhaps harshly, shown a second yellow card for tripping Eden Hazard just minutes after another foul on the Belgian, leaving the Reds with 10 men for the remainder of the contest. The dismissal also signalled the end for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, as the Armenian was substituted off for Marouane Fellaini. Herrera will now serve a two-match domestic ban that will force him to miss upcoming Premier League games against Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion.

2: DE GEA'S WORLD-CLASS SAVES
De Gea yet again proved why he is regarded as one of the world's top goalkeepers as the Spaniard produced some fine saves when called upon at Stamford Bridge. His first was an excellent fingertip stop to deny Hazard's powerful effort and that led to a save-of-the-season contender from the resulting corner, with David somehow getting down to his right to claw Gary Cahill's shot around the post. The majority of those inside the stadium - myself included - thought the ball was destined for the back of the net, but once again De Gea had the final say. Like those in front of him, De Gea put his body on the line, notably clashing with Costa on what was another standout night for the shot-stopper, despite the end result.

3: UNITED SHOWED TOGETHERNESS
Despite the numerical disadvantage, the Reds produced a battling defensive display that was encapsulated by Antonio Valencia. The Ecuadorian was imperious as a right wing-back, regularly on hand to deal with the threats of Willian, Hazard and Chelsea's top scorer, Diego Costa. Equally impressive was Marcos Rojo, who gave everything for the cause to protect David De Gea's goal, yet this was truly a team display. There are certainly positives to draw from Monday's efforts.

4: RASHFORD PLAYED THROUGH ILLNESS
Marcus Rashford overcame a bout of illness to lead the line for United in the absence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney. "The decision comes from him, he understood the situation, that he was the only one with a chance to play and he put himself on the line," Mourinho said.

To his credit, Rashford did not stop running throughout. Sights of goal were few and far between for the youngster, who at times found himself isolated following Herrera's dismissal, but he so nearly claimed an equaliser just before the hour mark. After racing past David Luiz onto a long ball, the youngster turned Cahill inside out and dribbled into the box, only to be denied by the out-stretched arm of Courtois. Yes, it was a frustrating night for both Rashford and United, but the attacker displayed maturity beyond his years.

5: JOSE'S WORDS FOR POGBA
Paul Pogba came away from this quarter-final clash with praise from the boss. Alongside substitute Marouane Fellaini, the Frenchman faced the thankless task of trying to shackle Kante and, at the other end, went close to finding a late equaliser when his low shot flew just wide. Speaking to MUTV afterwards, Mourinho said: "I have to say that Paul Pogba was by far the best player on the pitch, he was a giant on the pitch and after him all my other players were fantastic."

6: OUT OF THE FA CUP
The bottom line is that United are out: Chelsea will meet Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-finals at Wembley, with Arsenal facing Manchester City. Yet the Reds still have a top-four Premier League place and the Europa League trophy to fight for and the latter campaign resumes on Thursday with the Round-of-16 second leg against FC Rostov at Old Trafford.