On an afternoon when tempers flared at Anfield, Steven Gerrard, the Liverpool captain, claimed that Rob Styles, the referee, had “cracked” under pressure from Chelsea’s players during yesterday’s controversial 1-1 draw between two of the leading title contenders.

Gerrard said that “a lot of pressure from Chelsea’s players” had led Styles to award the visiting team a fiercely disputed penalty in the 62nd minute, from which Frank Lampard equalised, after an innocuous collision between Steve Finnan and Florent Malouda. Styles also showed Michael Essien two yellow cards ten minutes later without sending off the Chelsea player, although Phil Dowd, the fourth official, denied that his colleague had intentionally shown a second card.

Styles refused to explain his view of the incidents after the game, but Gerrard and Rafael BenÍtez, the Liverpool manager, were united in condemning him and, pointedly, the Chelsea players, who were guilty of a series of mass confrontations of the type that the Professional Game Match Officials Board had pledged to crack down on.

“Without wanting to get into trouble, I think the referee didn’t play well,” Gerrard said. “There was a lot of pressure from their players and eventually he cracked. It [the penalty] was a very, very unfair decision and that has got Chelsea a point. I hope he comes out and admits that because, as players, when we make mistakes we come out and say it.”

BenÍtez was equally scathing of the penalty award. “What penalty?” he replied when asked for his view of the incident.

“There were 45,000 people in the crowd and not one of them could see a penalty except the referee. That’s why [José] Mourinho couldn’t see it.

“I want to have respect for the referee, but sometimes I can’t understand why it’s something only he can explain. I don’t think he will be able to explain it properly.”

Mourinho, for once, was guarded on the incident, taking a leaf out of Arsène Wenger’s book by claiming not to have seen it clearly, but he issued an impassioned defence of his team when informed of Gerrard’s comments about the pressure put on Styles by Chelsea’s players.

“Is that your opinion or is it Steven Gerrard’s opinion?” the Chelsea manager asked when the accusation about intimidation of the referee was put to him. “My opinion is that I think we have a naive team. They are clean. We don’t have divers. We don’t have violent people.

“We don’t have nasty tackles. We don’t have people diving to the swimming pool.”

When pushed further on the issue of his players’ approach to referees, Mourinho said: “That’s your opinion. I respect your opinion. I disagree with you. Are you from Liverpool?”

BenÍtez laughed upon hearing of Mourinho’s portrayal of an angelic team.

“Then I am Little Red Riding Hood,” he said. “I don’t want to give any names, but you look at their team and ask yourself how many times their players do the things they say they don’t do. Their players talk to the referee all the time.”

Mourinho also attempted to play down the incident involving Essien, whom Styles appeared to book for a second time in the 73rd minute, even though Dowd’s explanation was that the referee was showing the yellow card to Terry, having already done so during the same stoppage. “I think Mr Styles had a positive game,” the Chelsea manager said. “Essien got a yellow card in the first half, for an [Álvaro] Arbeloa jump. And in the second half John Terry was booked immediately, but when Mr Styles showed him the yellow card, Essien was afraid that it was for him.

“Sometimes referees make mistakes. I know that because I understand the situation, but Michael Essien, in the heat of the game, was scared because he thought he was going to be sent off. But Anfield is not an easy place for referees.

“And I think not everybody on the pitch was doing everything they could to help the referee.”