Manchester United's grip on the Premier League title loosened as they lost 2-1 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, sparking fury from manager Sir Alex Ferguson over refereeing decisions. Ferguson criticised referee Martin Atkinson for failing to send off Chelsea defender David Luiz for a foul on Wayne Rooney, which he deemed a clear second yellow card.
United led at half-time through Rooney's fine strike, but Chelsea equalised early in the second half via Luiz. The decisive moment came 10 minutes from time when Atkinson awarded a penalty for a challenge by Chris Smalling on Yuri Zhirkov, which Ferguson described as 'very soft'. Frank Lampard converted the spot kick to seal the win.
Ferguson said: 'You want a fair referee - or a strong referee, anyway - and we didn't get that. When I saw who the referee was I did fear it. I feared the worst.' He added that Luiz's foul was 'six yards in front of the referee' and that he did not know how the defender stayed on the pitch.
The defeat leaves United still top but with 22 dropped points away from home this season. Chelsea remain 12 points behind with a game in hand, but the manner of the victory gives Carlo Ancelotti's side hope of retaining their title. Ferguson's outburst drew criticism, though many noted United had benefited from a similar decision in their previous match at Wigan.
