Sir Alex Ferguson claimed referee Martin Atkinson’s decisions which led to Chelsea’s winning goal at Stamford Bridge today were the kind which lead managers and players to “lose faith in refereeing”.

Atkinson awarded a free-kick for Darren Fletcher’s challenge on Ashley Cole, and Wes Brown appeared to be impeded as Frank Lampard’s delivery was turned into the net.

An unhappy Ferguson said: “Clearly, Darren Fletcher’s won the ball - Ashley Cole’s never touched and has jumped up in the air - and then (Didier) Drogba’s pulled Brown to the ground for the goal.

“The referee’s position to make the decision was absolutely ridiculous, he can’t see anything. He’s got a Chelsea player (Joe Cole) standing right in front of him and he doesn’t even move.

“It was a bad decision, but there’s nothing we can do about it. You lose faith in refereeing sometimes, that’s the way the players are talking in there - it was a bad one.”