Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho believes a wrongly awarded penalty in the 1-1 draw with Southampton denied his side an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
The Blues are six points clear of second-placed Manchester City with a game in hand but, for the second time against Southampton this season, Mourinho bemoaned decisions by the officials.
He was fined 25,000 pounds for saying there was a "clear campaign" against his side after Cesc Fabregas was denied a penalty and booked for diving instead in the 1-1 draw against the Saints at St Mary's in December.
On Sunday, Mourinho was frustrated that Nemanja Matic was penalised, allowing Dusan Tadic to score from the spot and cancel out Diego Costa's first Premier League goal for almost two months, and that Branislav Ivanovic was not awarded a spot kick at the other end.
"I'm happy with the situation. I'm happy with the six-point lead, but I'm not happy with the result,'' he said.
"If you remember our two matches against Southampton: in one game, one penalty that is not a penalty, and in another game a penalty that was not given. You are speaking about six points transformed into two points.''
Mourinho was upset with the penalty decisions, but bit his tongue on this occasion.
He said: "My opinion is not important. Important is Mr Mike Dean [the referee]. His decision was a penalty [for Southampton] and his decision was no penalty on Ivanovic.''
Ivanovic may have been clipped by Tadic but fell theatrically, possibly dissuading Dean from pointing to the spot.
Asked about the fall, Mourinho deferred to his media officer sitting alongside him, saying: "You have to control me, if not...''
He was told that television pundit Graeme Souness -- with whom he had a public exchange of views this week after he criticised Chelsea's conduct in the Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain -- thought that Matic had conceded a penalty.
"Graeme Souness says also that it's more a reason to criticise a player who asks for a yellow card than a player who kicks somebody in the chest,'' Mourinho added.
"I went to Sky and they told me their pundits said it's a penalty. I went to BBC and they told me it's not a penalty. I went to the radios and they told me it's not a penalty.
"Pundits are paid to wear my suit, but I'm not paid to wear their suit or to comment on their comments.
"If one day I become a pundit, I will wear a manager's suit. I will win every game, because pundits win every game, and then I can be critical and I can be phenomenal like they are.''
Matic was replaced by Ramires soon after a second-half foul on Sadio Mane that could have seen him booked for a second time and sent off for a second successive Premier League game.
"When that penalty is given you have to believe that the second yellow card can come,'' Mourinho said, referring to Ramires' sending off at Aston Villa last season.
The manager was pleased with his players' response to their European elimination on away goals as their grip on a first title in five years tightened following Manchester City's 1-0 loss at Burnley on Saturday.
But the Portuguese said he felt third-placed Arsenal, seven points behind, are still in the title race.
He said the Gunners have an easier run-in than Chelsea and added: "More teams are in the race.
"For me, which momentum [for Arsenal]? Three-one against Monaco or 3-0 against West Ham? It depends on the momentum.
"If somebody tells me in August that at the end of March we are six points in front and one match in hand, I would sign immediately. No doubts."
