LONDON • Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has told his fourth-placed side that the "fight starts now" for a place in the Champions League next season after suffering a 2-0 smash-and-grab Premier League defeat by Manchester United on Monday night.

The Blues had two goals disallowed by video assistant referee (VAR) reviews and were furious over the VAR decision not to send off Harry Maguire for an off-the-ball kick at Michy Batshuayi.

To compound Chelsea's chagrin, he went on to score United's second goal after Anthony Martial's opener.

Lampard cut a frustrated figure as the flaws in both boxes, which have seen his side win just four of their last 14 league games, were exposed once more, this time by their top-four rivals.

"It's not worth me going on about it now, but the reality was there for us to see," he said. "If we're not going to take chances, then we're not going to win games. When you dominate for large periods, you have to take your chances.

"I don't like the way we're losing games. With lots of possession, lots of shots at goal and we're not finishing them."

Victory lifts the Red Devils up to seventh and within three points of Chelsea, while fifth could now even be good enough to qualify for the Champions League next term, depending on how Manchester City's appeal again a two-season ban from European competition goes.

However, even United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted his players had put on a "cumbersome" display at Stamford Bridge that was offset by another wasteful evening by the hosts.

"When you win 2-0 here, you are delighted," he said, before praising Eric Bailly, who made his first start of the season. "Then again, I didn't think we played well, particularly with the ball in the first half.

"We were slow, passing wasn't great, but we got the first goal, then we hung in there.

"Eric's a top player. It was his first game since we played Chelsea last April. He's such a top defender."

Lampard made a bold call by again dropping the world's most expensive goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga, to the bench in favour of Willy Caballero for the third successive game in all competitions.

But his hand was forced up front after Tammy Abraham was ruled out through injury, which meant Batshuayi made his first league start of the campaign.

Lampard's anger at missing out on a striker in last month's transfer window was borne out by a poor night for the misfiring Belgian, who now has one goal in 15 league appearances this season.

The course of the game, however, could have been very different had Maguire not escaped unpunished for kicking Batshuayi after the two tangled off the field in the first half.

"He should have been sent off," Lampard said. "That's clear, and that obviously changes the game.

"It's just a wrong decision - everyone I've spoken to has said the same. Which I suppose is harder to take with the presence of VAR. Decisions like that are crucial.

"That's a major part of what VAR was brought in for - a second viewing, different angles. I don't get why they aren't looking at the monitor. It should be used."

Maguire defended his actions by claiming that his kick at Batshuayi was a form of pre-emptive strike.

"I know I caught him," he admitted. "I felt he was going to fall on me, and my natural reaction was to straighten my leg to stop him.

"It wasn't a kick out and I had no intent to hurt him. I apologised to him, and it was nice that the referee (Anthony Taylor) saw sense."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, THE GUARDIAN