As a conciliatory Ashley Cole apologised for his horrendous tackle on Alan Hutton and for the disrespect he showed to Mike Riley, the referee, Avram Grant attempted to launch a counter-attack against those who have condemned his players’ behaviour. The Chelsea first-team coach claimed that his team were the victims of double standards, as they were criticised for the way they surrounded Riley after Cole’s challenge but the conduct of Tottenham Hotspur’s officials escaped unnoticed.

Grant was unhappy, in particular, with the way that Tottenham’s coaching staff went on to the pitch to complain to the officials about the foul on Hutton during the 4-4 draw in the Barclays Premier League on Wednesday evening. “I didn’t see it but the referee was very close and I saw everybody jump on him, including the Tottenham bench,” Grant said. “I know when we are doing this, everybody says we are not behaving right. We have a lot of respect for referees.”

Chelsea have been criticised and fined by the FA twice this season for failing to control their players, relating to their reactions to contentious incidents on the pitch. “If you see our players, they don’t have a problem with these things,” Grant said.

Cole was condemned for turning his back on Riley as he was attempting to show him a yellow card. Cole apologised to Riley last night. “I’m an emotional person, things can happen on the pitch very quickly, but I didn’t mean to disrespect the referee,” Cole said. “I recognise this is a part of my game that I need to work on and control.” The full back also issued a public apology to Hutton on Chelsea TV.

“I’d like to apologise to Alan Hutton,” Cole said. “I didn’t mean to go in hard that way. It was high, but I tried to read the ball and get the ball first, but he was a little bit too quick for me. It wasn’t malicious and I’m a little disappointed with what people are saying, that I meant it. It was a bad tackle at the time, but in the heat of the moment you want to win the game and win every tackle.”

Chelsea squandered the lead three times in the derby match at White Hart Lane to lose ground on Manchester United, who are top of the Premier League, and Arsenal, whom Chelsea play at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Cole will no doubt face further hostility from Arsenal fans angered by his acrimonious move to West London in the summer of 2006 and his subsequent critical comments about his former club at the start of last season. Cole was fined £75,000 – which had been reduced on appeal – for his part in the infamous “tapping-up” affair at a London hotel when he was an Arsenal player three years ago.

Cole apologised to Hutton on the pitch on Wednesday, but they did not speak after the match. “He [Cole] went by and he said, ‘I never meant it,’ and that’s fine for me,” Hutton said. “I knew he didn’t mean it. He’s gone in to win the ball, I’ve just got in there quick and sometimes that’s what happens. The game is played that quick that it can happen.

“To be fair, I wasn’t thinking that he should be sent off. I know it was up high, but the ball was up high as well and he’s gone for the ball. I’ve just nicked it away and I wouldn’t blame him for that because I’ve probably done that in my career before, so it’s not a problem.”

Juande Ramos, the Tottenham head coach, chose not to criticise Chelsea, in contrast to Gustavo Poyet, the assistant first-team coach, who vented his anger at Riley and Steve Bennett, the fourth official, as the players walked off at half-time.

“Everybody has different reactions in situations like that,” Ramos said. “We are just very happy that no player got injured. These sort of challenges happen in every league in the world and football here is not excessively aggressive.”

Official warning

What referee Mike Riley said to Ashley Cole after the tackle

Riley Your foot’s up in the air.” (Cole turns his back to him)

Riley “No, calm down . . . Ashley, no, turn around. Ashley, no, turn around and face me . . . Ashley, you’ll get sent off in a minute, show some respect, calm.”

Source Sky Sports News