EPL round-up: Mourinho upset at officiating again; Swansea stun Manchester United as Burnley hold 10-man Chelsea

Jose Mourinho launched a thinly veiled attack on referee Martin Atkinson after Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Burnley at Stamford Bridge.

The turning point of the match unfolded in the 70th minute when Nemanja Matic was sent off for pushing Ashley Barnes to the ground in response to what looked a nasty tackle from the forward.

Mourinho said Barnes should not have been on the pitch to commit the foul as his 31st minute knee on Branislav Ivanovic was worthy of a red card.

The Chelsea manager also disagreed with Atkinson’s decision to reject penalty appeals when Michael Kightly handed the ball in the 34th minute and Jason Shackell barged over Diego Costa in the 44th minute.

Ivanovic opened the scoring for the Premier League leaders before Ben Mee headed home an 81st-minute equaliser.

Mourinho, mindful of avoiding another run-in with authorities, chose his words carefully as he criticised Atkinson.

“This game had four crucial moments – minutes 30, 33, 43 and 69. This is the story of this game. I can’t comment because it’s difficult for me to not say the truth,” Mourinho said.

“I’m making it easy for you because if you look at these moments you know exactly what I think about the game.

“What happened to Matic was in minute 69 and minute 69 had a big relationship with minute 30 because normally that player, if I can call him a player, should have been in the shower in minute 31.”

Mourinho claimed in January that there is a “clear campaign’’ by “people, pundits, commentators and coaches from other teams” against Chelsea and the Portuguese hinted that Saturday’s events against Burnley have only solidified his belief.

“I’m happy that I’m not stupid and I understood everything a couple of months ago,” he said.

Burnley manager Sean Dyche disagreed with Mourinho.

“I’ve only seen it as it happened. It looked like a coming together at an odd angle. Then Matic reacts in the way he did,” Dyche said.

“Barnes was involved in something earlier in what sense? Playing football? A charge in the back? Is there anything else? The grass was too short?”

Van Gaal rues United’s ‘amazing’ defeat

Robin van Persie left Liberty Stadium on crutches as Louis van Gaal called Manchester United’s defeat at Swansea “amazing”.

Dutch striker Van Persie was injured late on in the 2-1 defeat in Wales as United fell to fourth in the Premier League following Arsenal’s win at Crystal Palace.

United took a first-half lead through Ander Herrera but Ki Sung-yueng equalised within two minutes and Bafetimbi Gomis gave Swansea victory when he deflected Jonjo Shelvey’s 73rd-minute strike past David de Gea.

Gomis’s goal secured Swansea’s first league double over United after the Welsh club’s 2-1 win at Old Trafford on the first day of the season in August, but Van Gaal said that what was his side’s second defeat in 20 games in all competitions was undeserved on the balance of play.

“It is always frustrating when you lose and you are the dominating team, your disappointment is much bigger because of that,” Van Gaal said. “Swansea had a chance in the first minute of the second half and after that we dominated the game. Every two minutes we had a chance but we were not effective.

“Nevertheless we dominated the game even with 10 men when Robin van Persie could not run any more after his injury and I had three substitutes on the field. It is amazing we have lost and we have lost only to Southampton in 19 games before this, but you have to pick yourself up and continue.”

Wenger cites Arsenal’s spirit; Sherwood ‘bitterly disappointed’

Arsene Wenger paid tribute to the resolve of his Arsenal side after their 2-1 triumph at Crystal Palace moved them up to third in the Premier League table.

Santi Carzola’s penalty and Olivier Giroud’s goal in the first half put Arsenal in control, and, though Palace scored a late consolation goal through Glenn Murray, Wenger’s side held on for their 14th win of the season.

“It was about fighting for the win,” The Frenchman told the BBC.

“Crystal Palace made it a really tough game and we had to dig deep on a difficult pitch against a good team so I’m very happy with the win.

“Palace gave everything they had. It was like a cup game. They closed us down and stopped us playing.”

Aston Villa remain in the relegation zone after Tim Sherwood’s first game in charge ended in defeat as Stoke City won 2-1 at Villa Park.

Scott Sinclair’s header had put Villa ahead before Mame Biram Diouf levelled for Stoke in the first half.

But Stoke won the game in stoppage time when Victor Moses scored a penalty after he had been felled by Ron Vlaar, who was sent off.

“I am bitterly disappointed,” Sherwood said.

“I didn’t think we deserved to lose the game but we didn’t do enough to win it. We have to go and do a job and forget any anxiety.”

Dame N’Doye’s 89th-minute header lifted Hull City four points clear of the relegation zone as they defeated 10-man Queens Park Rangers 2-1.

Nikicia Jelavic had volleyed Hull into an early lead, only for Charlie Austin to equalise for QPR.

But QPR captain Joey Barton was sent off for striking Tom Huddlestone and N’Doye rewarded Hull’s late pressure.

Adam Johnson had a goal ruled out for offside as Sunderland played out a goalless draw with West Bromwich Albion.

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