Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has blamed Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho for turning the FA Cup quarter-final clash between the two sides into an ugly affair - but argues the Blues had the last laugh.

It was an emotionally-charged night at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea booked their place in the semi-finals of the competition, with N’Golo Kante’s fine second-half strike proving the difference.

United adopted a defensively-minded gameplan that appeared to stifle the home side in the opening exchanges of the game but, following Ander Herrera’s dismissal, the visitors' tactics unravelled.

Mourinho's resorted to an increasingly hostile approach as the game wore on, with the likes of Willian and Eden Hazard bearing the full brunt of United’s incessant fouls.

Having spent two seasons under the ministry of Mourinho, Courtois believes United’s Monday night display showcased all the hallmarks of his former boss but praised Chelsea for emerging victorious despite the Portuguese’s mind games.

Speaking to the Evening Standard after the game, Courois said: “These are the mind games they try to play - they get it from their manager - but we didn’t fall into that trap.

“They obviously came with a plan, to put Phil Jones and [Matteo] Darmian on Eden and Willian. It was hard to find the space but, after we did, they made a lot of fouls.”

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The game's turning came late in the first half when Herrera was shown a second yellow for a foul on Hazard, which came just seconds after referee Michael Oliver had warned United captain Chris Smalling about their rough treatment of the Belgian.

Herrera's dismissal dominated the post-match analysis, but Courtois argues Oliver had no choice but to hand the Spaniard a second yellow.

He continued: “They were very hard. It was the style of Mourinho - and Herrera paid the price for his team-mates because Jones just before had made the fifth foul on Eden.

“Then 10 seconds later, you make another foul and the ref has to give another yellow card. Unfortunately for Herrera he’d already had a yellow.