I thought that as is the norm Steve Bennett put in a really good performance for our opponents, but even he must have felt really sorry he couldn't have been up at Goodison effecting the result in United's favour rather than doing his best to help Sunderland ease their way up the league. Bennett allowed the Mackems to hack away at will and performed his usual trick of pretending he'd left his cards at home for as long as possible. Only after we'd taken a good kicking did he deploy his first yellow card. Even then the caution he dished out was to Cana who on another day, with another ref, could have been sent off for his evil looking two-footed lunge on Eboue. Tackles from behind appeared to be de rigueur for Bruce's men before the break, with Nasri in particular upended any number of times. Nothing like modelling the team in your own image eh Bruce?

Strange how Bennett waved play on when we had a player down on the floor and no support for the man on the ball. This was not the case when we had a decent break on however. Just one fine example was when he pulled back a useful looking break down our left to card a handball designed specifically to slow down our break, thanks only to Bennett it did. Play was pulled back into our box and Sunderland were allowed to regroup behind the ball. Had Bennett employed his brain cell he could quite easily have booked Turner if and when the move broke down. The hapless Hutton could have been sent off on foul count alone, not that Bennett actually spotted many of them. Still Bennett as ever managed to book one of our big names which must have made his day. When you see the replays however Cesc's attempted block didn't even have rated a free kick, just a worthy Oscar winning performance by Mensah.

Bennett's most outrageous cock-up was the free kick he awarded Jones on the edge of our box because Vermaelen fell over next to him. Valiant attempt though this was to even up the game by Bennett such crass ignorance of the rules defies belief. Add this to the fact that Bennett didn't want to award Cesc our very obvious penalty, that was the assistant ref. Until the lino put his flag across his chest Bennett had no intention of giving it. Steve Bruce was correct however in stating that Sunderland wouldn't have been given such a penalty. Of course they wouldn't, they'd have had to get into their opponents’ box to gain a spot kick, an exceedingly rare event for the Black Cats. And for the record Bruce should just shut up and watch the replays to see how obviously clear cut it was, he should also note that this was only the second penalty Arsenal have been awarded in the league for the entire season.

But as crap referees go at least Steve Bennett is consistent - he's always total rubbish.