Sir Alex Ferguson launched a scathing attack on Martin Atkinson last night after Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

The United manager accused Atkinson, the referee, of costing his side a match he felt that they dominated by incorrectly awarding the free kick that led to John Terry’s 77th-minute goal, as well as failing to spot that Didier Drogba was lurking in an offside position in front of Edwin van der Sar.

Ferguson’s complaints were echoed by several of his players during and after a tempestuous encounter, with Wayne Rooney angrily mouthing “12 men” to a television camera as he trudged off the pitch.

“Clearly Darren Fletcher won the ball,” Ferguson said. “He never touched Ashley Cole, who just jumped up in the air, then Drogba pulled Wes Brown to the ground at the goal. The referee’s position to make a decision there was absolutely ridiculous. He can’t see it. There was a Chelsea player standing right in front of him and he doesn’t even move.

“It was a bad decision, but what can you do? You lose faith in the refereeing sometimes. That’s the way the players are talking in the dressing room. It was a bad one. That goal should not have been allowed.

“We dominated the game and had great chances to win. And that’s our fault. Some of the football we played getting up to the box, and some of the chances in and around the box, we should have finished them off, but we never got the break we needed.”

Ferguson’s criticisms of Atkinson had some foundation, as Fletcher did appear to win the ball and Drogba was clearly interfering with play as he bore down on goal, but they will not be welcomed by the Football Association in the wake of his condemnation of Alan Wiley’s fitness levels last month.

The Scot has accepted the FA’s improper conduct charge, but requested a personal hearing that will be held next month. Ferguson has clashed with Atkinson before, criticising his decision-making after an FA Cup defeat by Portsmouth two years ago.

Carlo Ancelotti, the Chelsea manager, conceded that Drogba may have been in an offside position, but was more concerned by the Ivory Coast striker’s fitness after a clash with Jonny Evans that caused him to hobble off in the 83rd minute.

The Italian also condemned the behaviour of several other United players in an acrimonious finale, particularly Fletcher, who was repeatedly urging Atkinson to give bookings to the home side.

“Maybe Drogba was offside, but it’s very difficult to see this because there were a lot of people in the box,” Ancelotti said. “Sometimes on the pitch it’s difficult to ‘look well’ and take a decision. I didn’t see the foul of Didier, I was so far away.

“Drogba has a problem because he’s struggling to move, and I hope he’ll be better in the next few days. I will watch the game, for sure, but I don’t want to put my focus on that situation.

“I think that the United players protested a lot. I don’t know why. I don’t like this, for sure, but at the end of the match — a match that was very difficult — all the players have worked very hard, so sometimes it can happen.”

Chelsea’s eleventh successive home win — a club record — takes them five points clear at the top of the table, but Ancelotti is refusing to get carried away.

“It’s important that we’ve started the season very well, we have 30 points from 12 games, but the season is very long and we know that,” he said. “We have to stay focused for the next matches. We beat a very good team today, a fantastic team. It’s very difficult to beat United.”