Rafael da Silva was sent off against Tottenham Hotspur yesterday after a poor decision from referee Mike Dean. After the game, Spurs boss Harry Redknapp conceded the second yellow was a wrong decision.

However, the reaction of Rafael, which was certainly way over the top, even if slightly understandable given that he just been sent off for nothing, has been deemed worthy of an FA charge.

You have to wonder what Rafael did differently to Wayne Rooney. If anything, Rooney was the more aggressive.

Then you have to wonder what Rafael did which was so different to so many other players every week. Some players react worse than that for decisions nowhere near as bad but what happens to them?

Steven Gerrard performed a scissor tackle from behind on James McCarthy at Wigan last season. He was rightly booked and then stuck his fingers up at referee Andre Marriner and told him to “fuck off”. He was hilariously labelled “Stevie V” by The Sun the following day but no FA charge followed.

John Terry once famously tried to take a red card out of a referee’s hand after team mate John Obi Mikel sent off and repeatedly gets in the referee’s face. Is he ever charged? No.

Surely common sense would say take in to consideration that the lad has been wrongly sent off and warn him about his future conduct. But if the face fits, eh FA?