Lampard: Referees are killing the art of tackling

Red cards have come thick and fast in recent matches for a host of tackles considered to be in that category.

While few could argue Peter Crouch's wild lunge at Jon Obi Mikel last night warranted a sending off, Emmanuel Eboue's foul on John Terry in Chelsea's defeat at Arsenal last Sunday was only punished with a yellow card.

It is this apparent inconsistency that has angered Lampard, whose team-mate Terry had three bones broken by the Gunners' defender's challenge.

"The players do not know where they stand and I don't think they ever will," said the 29-year-old midfielder.

"It is difficult for referees. They have been given directives and in the 100 mph game that it is sometimes they can get it slightly wrong.

"Some tackles are more clear cut than others and I hope they do not take the strong tackle out of the game because we don't want that at all."

However, strong tackles of the Crouch variety are thoroughly unwelcome.

While Mikel over-reacted in true shot-by-sniper style, the Liverpool striker's idiotic tackle got what it deserved and probably cost his side any chance of getting back into the match.

Crouch's dismissal on the hour mark came barely a minute after Lampard opened the scoring in typical trademark fashion.

Andriy Shevchenko cleverly knocked down Michael Essien's angled pass for Lampard, who arrived late and drilled a shot which took a gravity-defying deflection off Jamie Carragher and looped into Charles Itandje's net.

Shevchenko added a second with a last-minute strike that almost ripped Itandje in half to book Chelsea's spot in the last four of the Carling Cup. As the Blues close in on their first piece of silverware under boss Avram Grant, Essien was in bullish mood over his side's trophy aspirations.

"We are working hard to achieve something,î said the Ghanian with Momo Sissoko).

"We are playing for trophies - every game is important and we are confident we can be in the title race. We have the players and are back on track and winning. We have to believe in ourselves that we can do it."

While the African Nations Cup will have an impact with Essien among those unavailable to Chelsea, Terry was upbeat over his own return.

"I have broken the third metatarsal and reckon I will be out four to six weeks," he said.

"Tackles have to be made in this game, and especially in a top-of-the-table clash like Sunday's at Arsenal. I felt he left his studs in there and it should have been a sending-off."