Neil Warnock was furious after
The Bluebirds appeared to be on course for a vital three points in their survival push after Victor Camarasa's opener.
But Chelsea levelled when Cesar Azpilicueta headed in with replays showing the Spaniard was in an offside position.
Antonio Rudiger was then lucky to escape without a red card for a foul on Kenneth Zohore before Ruben Loftus-Cheek's late winner.
Warnock was incensed and stormed onto the pitch at full-time and stared at referee Craig Pawson before applauding the supporters.
Warnock refused to speak to interviewers until around 30 minutes after the final whistle as he tried to calm himself down.
But he still let rip at the officials with his side facing an uphill battle to survive.
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Full transcript
"It's difficult because I am really flat. I am so proud of my players. To get let down by the officials... roll on VAR.
"We worked three weeks for this but to get let down by decisions... no major decisions went for us.
"They don't realise what is at stake. If I was a Burnley or a Brighton fan, they will be absolutely loving it today.
"It's not our fault an official can't see that, it is the most obvious offside I have ever seen or the most certain penalty I have ever seen.
"What goes through my mind? Is it payback time for me over the years?
"It's the best league in the world but the worst officials. They don't understand what is at stake. They shouldn't make mistakes at this level.
"Why am I working at 70 years of age for things like that to happen? It's not very often I am lost for words.
"My players feel like they have been kicked in the teeth. We've been kicked so many times. I don't deserve officials like that today. There is no excuse for that, it's criminal.
"If my players feel like they look in the dressing room, that's the end of our season. But how many times have we bounced back this season?"
Warnock's post-match press conference
On Azpilicueta's goal
"VAR is needed, they need help. It would have taken ten seconds to sort out. It is soul destroying and I can understand the lads being down.
"The crowd was great, we wanted to enjoy the game and we did that. To be done by something that is nothing in the game, it is soul destroying."
On Cardiff's penalty appeals
"There was a penalty shout in the first half, the second half there was another one. The ref is in a really good position, it is almost not who you play, it is about who is in the middle and who has a flag.
"On top of everything that has gone on this season. Rudiger should have been off. I think Pawson is a good referee.
"I don’t know what Mike Riley does with the linesman, if you can’t see straight across the line."
On the officials
"I spoke to them and they feel as bad as I did. He said that Willian blocked his view.
"Surely you can see either side that he was two yards offside. It is similar to when we played Watford.
"Little things, we don’t get major decisions I’m afraid. We have had a major blow but we have to go again."
On post-match staring at officials
"I wanted to get the players away and didn’t want them to have an excuse of getting out of Manchester City. I didn’t want to say anything.
"I wanted to clap the fans behind them, but they didn’t move. The fans have been brilliant. The game is passionate and if there is such an injustice when you battle so much then you are going to be passionate.
"It’s the best league in the world."
