Webb's Law

Former PC Howard Webb and his linesmen have attracted generous praise for their handling of the Carling Cup final between Chelsea and Arsenal, but there is little doubt that some have more cause to be grateful to them than others.

Ricardo Carvalho for being allowed to commit a clear foul on Julio Baptista in the box and escape conceding a penalty.

Michael Essien for a horrific tackle on Baptista that screamed ‘red card’ yet was rewarded with yellow.

Diarra for two blatant body checks that cumulatively should have seen him dismissed, but under Mr Webb’s blue rinsed benevolence amounted to just one yellow card.

Lumpy Lampard for aggression beyond the call of stupidity in the flare up at the end – yellow again.

In truth, ‘yellow again’ epitomises Howard Webb’s performance, which entirely justified Mourinho’s carefully cultivated faith in him. There is no doubt that the letter of the law entitled him to send off Toure and Mikel after the unpleasantness in the closing minutes, but a better referee would have applied the spirit of the law, kept his red card in his pocket and thereby allowed a wonderful game the dignified conclusion which it deserved.

What’s more, a better referee might not have permitted himself to be persuaded by a linesman who had already demonstrated his incompetence - by declining to rule Drogba’s equaliser offside and later flagging Adebayor when he was onside - to send off the Arsenal striker when, as Chelsea’s left back later confirmed, he got the wrong man.

So what do they give you for wrongful arrest, constantly turning a blind eye and disturbing the peace? A medal of course.