Football: Mourinho accuses FA of double standards

LONDON - Jose Mourinho, the Chelsea manager, has accused the Football Association of double standards having not taken action against Robin van Persie for an elbow on James Tomkins.

The Blues boss remains without main striker Diego Costa for the final game of his three-match suspension against Everton on Wednesday.

Costa was banned for stamping on Liverpool's Emre Can and has questioned why other players do not get the same treatment as his talisman.

Mourinho, who did not mention van Persie by name, raised the inconsistency of the governing body's decision on Tuesday after the Manchester United forward did not receive a violent conduct charge for what West Ham defender Tomkins described as a 'malicious' act.

Referee Mark Clattenburg awarded a free-kick at Upton Park but failed to dish out any further disciplinary action for the elbow to Tomkins' face in the 1-1 draw on Sunday.

Mourinho also highlighted other incidents including Manchester City's Yaya Toure against Norwich last season as well as his own player, Ramires, who was banned retrospectively for four games after an elbow on Sunderland's Sebastian Larsson.

Mourinho, who made an elbow gesture while he emphasised his point, said: "I need a little bit more time to forget why my player was suspended, to understand why some people are punished and others aren't.

"I need a little bit more time to process that. I was with lots of attention this weekend.

"The same people (the FA) who suspended my player didn't want to suspend a player this weekend, and a player could have been suspended this weekend and he wasn't.

"I'm still processing that information.

"Somebody who did this (makes the elbow gesture) in the face of somebody, and nothing happened. I know that if it was one of mine...

"Last season, the same thing happened when Ramires was suspended and a Man City player (Toure) kicked a player at Norwich who was on the floor and nothing happened. I'm used to it." Mourinho also refused to comment on the news that Leicester manager Nigel Pearson escaped punishment for his touchline scuffle with Crystal Palace's James McArthur where he grabbed the Scotsman by the throat.

Mourinho added: "I have only thoughts about myself, not about Nigel." Asked if he had done the same thing, he said: "No comment. You know..."

Chelsea in driving seat

Chelsea lie seven points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table, but Mourinho is not getting carried away.

Mourinho said: "We are (in the driving seat). But seven points with 14 matches to go... if it was 14 points with seven matches to go, you are almost, almost, almost there.

"But seven points with 14 matches to go, there is a lot to play for. I'm just confident we can win tomorrow.

"We will go game after game, not think too far ahead. We will think about tomorrow, try and be good tomorrow, play well and try to win at home in front of our supporters. Hoping for a good reception after a good result." Mourinho said he did not believe former Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku had a point to prove on his return to Stamford Bridge.

"No. I think he proves every weekend that he's a good player. Nobody has doubts at Chelsea that he's a good player. He has nothing to prove to us. We know he's a good player.

"We know (Andre) Schurrle is a good player. (Kevin) De Bruyne is a good player. (Juan) Mata is a good player. But that's football, that's life, that's the market. The players' wishes sometimes to be in clubs where they become clearly the first options... that's football, that's life."