Jose Mourinho challenged Chelsea to stick with him or sack him after the capitulation against Southampton.
Captain John Terry was restored but Saints exposed the now familiar failings in the defence which just five months ago formed the foundation for winning the title, with goals from Steven Davis, Sadio Mane and Graziano Pelle earning a first win at Stamford Bridge since January 2002.
The Blues, who had taken the lead through Willian's free-kick, were booed off after a fourth loss in eight Premier League games left them 16th in the table, one place below newly-promoted Bournemouth.
In a seven-minute outburst to Sky Sports, Mourinho said: "If the club want to sack me, they have to sack me because I'm not running away from my responsibility and my team.
"This is a crucial moment in the history of this club because if the club sacks me, they sack the best manager this club had and the message is: bad results and the manager is guilty."
He later added in his post-match media conference: "No way I resign. No way. Why? Because Chelsea cannot have a better manager than me.
"I want the best for my club and the best for my club is for me to stay."
Mourinho felt aggrieved Chelsea were not awarded a penalty in the second half at Stamford Bridge when Radamel Falcao appeared to be brought down by Saints 'keeper Maarten Stekelenburg.
Southampton took the lead three minutes after referee Robert Madley's decision through Sadio Mane, and Mourinho felt it was an indication referees were afraid to give decisions to the Blues.
He added: "When we are at the top I understand that there is quite a big pleasure on putting us down.
"But when you are down you need to be a bit honest and to make clear that the referees are afraid to give decisions for Chelsea.
"The result [was] 1-1, there is a huge penalty and, once more, we don't get. A penalty is a crucial moment in the game with the result 1-1.
"I repeat, if the FA want to punish me, they can punish me, they don't punish other managers, they punish me - it's not a problem for me.
"But I want to repeat because I think my players deserve it, I think our fans deserve it and I am a Chelsea fan too. I want to say it again: referees are afraid to give decisions for Chelsea.
"Why? Because if they give there is always a question mark from you, there is always a question, there is always a critic, we are always punished."
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