Referees are picking on us, says angry Cole

Jose Bosingwa has apologised for his kung fu' kick on Liverpool's Yossi Benayoun.

Bosingwa was not even booked for the challenge and the Football Association are awaiting referee Mike Riley's match report before deciding whether the full-back will be charged.

It is likely that he will receive a ban for the incident and Bosingwa admits he was in the wrong. He said: "I apologise for what I did and it was never my intention to hurt him. I know it was wrong and I apologise."

Chelsea lost the match 2-0 but only conceded after Frank Lampard was controversially sent off by Riley on the hour. Luiz Felipe Scolari's side are now five points behind leaders Manchester United, who also have a game in hand.

Bosingwa added: "It could have been very different with 11 players than with 10, it could have been easier. But we will never know.

"It's always frustrating to lose big games and especially in this way. It was important to get points and not let United go. That didn't happen, so we are upset."

Chelsea have appealed Lampard's dismissal for a lunge at Xabi Alonso but he will be suspended for the next three games — including the FA Cup tie with Watford on 14 February — unless Riley changes his mind over the controversial decision.

John Terry has also been ruled out of the game at Vicarage Road after he was shown a yellow card for dissent but Ashley Cole feels Chelsea were the victims rather than the perpetrators at Anfield and pointed to Manchester City's game at Stoke as his example.

Rory Delap was sent off after clashing with Shaun
Wright-Phillips but the winger escaped censure after he kicked out at the Stoke player while on the ground.

Cole said: "All the players watched what happened with Shaun Wright-Phillips [at Stoke] and no one gets booked or questioned about it. We do one little tackle and we seem to be getting yellow and red cards."

Replays suggested the decision to send off Lampard was extremely harsh, as the midfielder took the ball before being caught on his ankle by Alonso.

There is history between Lampard and Alonso, after a challenge from the Chelsea player on New Year's Day in 2005 left the Spaniard with a broken ankle.

Scolari said: "I want the referee to look at the replay and maybe then he will change the red card. If you see the replay, you can see that maybe it was a foul by Alonso.

"I ask only for the FA and the referee to look at the video."

But Bosingwa was lucky after digging his studs into Benayoun's back as the Liverpool substitute tried to kill time by the corner flag. Scolari added: "As for Jose Bosingwa he made a mistake and maybe he will have a punishment from the FA."