CHELSEA boss Jose Mourinho felt that Burnley striker Ashley Barnes should have been sent off long before his involvement in Nemanja Matic’s red card in this afternoon’s 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho was clearly furious in his post-match press conference but tried to avoid talking about Barnes or referee Martin Atkinson by name, instead referencing key minutes in the game.

He seemed to compare Barnes’ involvement in the game with the furore around Diego Costa after the recent League Cup semi final against Liverpool, when the Chelsea striker later received a respective ban for violent conduct.

Asked about Barnes’ high tackle on Matic in the 69th minute, which led to the Serbian pushing over the Clarets forward and received a red card, Mourinho said: “I leave it with you.

“I prefer not to call it because if I call it I’m going to use some words, a couple of weeks ago when I was here at the press conference after the Liverpool game, the television going on and on with some titles saying 'Diego crimes'. Compare Diego crimes with what happened today.

“But this game had four crucial minutes, minute 30, minute 33, minute 43 and minute 69. This is the story of this game.

“I cannot comment on that story because you know that it is difficult for me to say the truth.

“I’m making it easy for you because you go home, you go to these moments and you know exactly what I think about the game.”

Mourinho seemed to be referring to a foul by Barnes on Branislav Ivanovic in the 30th minute, which was not punished by a card.

Chelsea then appealed for a penalty in the 33rd minute when Ivanovic’s shot struck the arm of Michael Kightly, before Costa went down under Shackell’s challenge in the 43rd minute.

Mourinho said: “Minute 69 has a big relation with minute 30 because normally a player if I can call him a player that was involved in minute 69 who was involved in minute 30, normally in minute 31 he should be in the shower.

“No minute 69 if the person in charge does it in the proper way on minute 30.”