There was certainly contact in the area but as the pictures show, that contact clearly started outside the box.

Some people have claimed that it should have been a penalty kick because the foul started outside the box and continued in the box. However, if you read the rules from the FIFA Handbook, this rule only applies to “holding” a defender, meaning, pulling their shirt or holding them back. The rule doesn’t refer to “fouling”. Evra fouled Ramires outside the box. A freekick should have been awarded.

When you then consider that Ramires was shown his first yellow card of the game on 60 minutes, after the ref previously missed his late foul on Rooney, easily worthy of a yellow card, the argument becomes pointless. Ramires should have been sent off with half an hour to play. Five minutes later, Essien was shown his first yellow of the game, after the ref missed his late and dangerous challenge on Rooney.

But let’s not let facts get in the way of Chelsea’s bitching of the injustice they always face in the Champions League, eh?