It's not Riff Rafa's fault, for once

The ref was to blame. Referee out? Colocinni and Cisse should get retroactive bans to prevent such shenanigans in upcoming games.

Some other thoughts on the game and its repercussions:

-Our defense is shambolic, and they are costing us massive points. The fact that the defenders were such a distance away from Cech for the second goal harkens back to the AVB high-line days, and I hope we're not returning to that era of defensive frailty.

-Will we never get rid of Torres? Even when Ba starts, Torres plays more minutes than him, and sorry, but aside from the assist, Torres did not contribute much.

-What is wrong with Ramires lately? He's becoming prone to picking up totally avoidable yellows, doesn't contribute nearly as much as he can to games, and is easily dispossessed.

-Luiz has recently been the least crazy of the Sideshow Bobs of this league, given Fellaini and Coloccini's recent acts of wanton violence.

-Van Persie has gone two games in a row without a goal or assist. Van Persie out (of many fantasy league teams, I presume)! He's turning into a regular Torres.

-Please give Lampard an extension! Even a half-season extension would be better than nothing. If Lampard doesn't stay, we absolutely need to acquire Fellaini. Oscar, in spite of the way he started his Chelsea tenure, will not become the goal-scoring box-to-box midfielder to replace Lampard. For that purpose, we need Fellaini.

-I'm still not sure what to make of Bertrand. He often appears to be literally scared of players that are challenging him. His skills are sound, and I like him as an offensive player (more so than as a defensive player) - he can dribble past defenses and put in a cross. However, he loses possession too easily, is prone to making rash decisions, doesn't have great vision for a pass, and lacks confidence. These deficits may be ironed out with experience, but until they are, it's better that we keep him up the field, where they are less likely to cost us games.