Louis van Gaal felt Manchester United were the better side in the 1–1 draw at Stamford Bridge.
Diego Costa’s injury-time equaliser preserved Chelsea’s unbeaten record under Guus Hiddink and saw fifth-placed United drop points in their pursuit of a Champions League place.
“It’s frustrating. I have to say we played a very good match until the last quarter of the match,” said United boss Van Gaal.
“It is a pity for us, because we had more chances to score and we controlled the game. We were the better team here last year too and lost 1-0.
“When you are playing like we did today and not making up the gap (on the top four) you can say it is misfortune, but it is not the first time and we have to improve. But I am happy with the performance.”
Van Gaal also continued to dismiss reports that he is close to losing his job at Old Trafford.