Ferguson not happy with referee after defeat to Chelsea

With this result the race for the title has been blown wide open, with Arsenal not breathing down Manchester United’s back.

Ferguson’s assessment of referee Martin Atkinson after the match was very negative.

Atkinson’s for awarding a penalty to Chelsea and for not sending off David Luiz moments earlier after a foul on Wayne Rooney did not go down well with Ferguson.

Ferguson said: ''The penalty kick was so soft. Deary me. But we played very well. It was a great performance by us. We didn't deserve that. That's three years in a row [at Stamford Bridge] referees' decisions have changed the game.''

On the Luiz decision, he added: ''It was incredible. Even before that he'd done Chicharito off the ball. He'd done him late. Nothing done, the referee's in front of it.

''He does Rooney clear as day, the referee is six yards from it, he doesn't do anything. That changed the game. These are decisions that change the game. And he's going to be refereeing every week.

''But I'm proud of the players. They've endured a lot of decisions against them but they've come through it, they've done their best. They've created good chances. They didn't deserve that.''

Asked if Chelsea were back in the title race, he added: ''If they get decisions like tonight then it can change everything. They got a lot of decisions tonight that surprised me.''

Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti admitted Luiz had perhaps been fortunate.

''There was a lot of intensity and it was not easy for the referee to decide every time,'' Ancelotti said. ''David Luiz could be lucky but there was a lot going on on the pitch so the referee decided he didn't see this.''

''It was a good performance and we are still alive,'' he said. ''We played well, it was a very difficult game and we found a fantastic opponent but the team played really well to still go forward when we are losing 1-0.

''We kept going with strength, intensity and power in our performance. It was really good but if you don't play well, you cannot beat Man United.''

''This improves our table, but we don't have to look at that, just stay focused on our other games,'' he said. ''Our next game is on Monday so we prepare for that. It's far to Manchester United, but our performance was important, there are a lot of matches and we are ready to play at our best,''  concluded Ancelotti.