"Fernando Torres deserved to be sent off" - Alex Ferguson

Sir Alex Ferguson has backed referee Mark Clattenburg for sending off Fernando Torres in Manchester United's 3-2 win at nine-man Chelsea in what was a controversial encounter at Stamford Bridge.

After the Blues had overturned a two-goal deficit, they were reduced to nine men when first Branislav Ivanovic was dismissed before Torres received a second yellow card for diving following Evans' challenge.

The decision prompted angry exchanges between managers Sir Alex Ferguson and Roberto Di Matteo before Javier Hernandez scored the winner for the visitors.


Ferguson believes Torres had only himself to blame for being sent off.

'Did he intend to dive? I thought he went down,' said the Scot. 'I think Jonny may have just caught him a little bit but he can either carry on running - which he could have done - but he chose to go down.

'He could have carried on and scored so I cannot understand it. It's his own fault.'

Ivanovic's dismissal was less controversial, the Serbia international seeing red for bringing down Ashley Young, who had been played clean through by Van Persie. And Ferguson admitted that was the turning point.

'You have to give credit to Chelsea, they never gave in,' he added. 'They showed a great desire to get back in the game.

'I think the sending off from the right-back was the turning point. I think we wouldn't have won at that point.

'But we put Chicharito (Hernandez) on and he gets the winning goal and I think the momentum was with us then.'