• Manchester United manager angry over Gary Cahill tackle
• FA rules he was within his rights to criticise Darren Cann

Sir Alex Ferguson is unlikely to face a disciplinary charge over his criticism of the linesman Darren Cann in Manchester United’s 3-3 draw at Chelsea on Sunday.

Ferguson’s joy at seeing his team come back from 3-0 down was tempered by his anger at Cann’s decision not to flag for a foul by Gary Cahill on Danny Welbeck after the United striker raced through the home defence in the first half.

The United manager thought the Chelsea debutant Cahill should have been sent off as he was the last man.

Ferguson said after the match: “They should’ve had a man sent off … [but there was] nothing, no decision. That linesman [Cann], [has] given a penalty kick against us from 40 yards away last year against Liverpool, this year against Arsenal – and he can’t see that? He is all too happy to flag at Old Trafford for penalty kicks.”

It is understood the Football Association ruled on Monday that the Scot was within his rights to criticise Cann, and that he did not question the assistant referee’s integrity with his comments.

The United manager was hit with a five-match touchline ban and a £30,000 fine last March after the same fixture. Then, after seeing his team lose 2-1 at Stamford Bridge, Ferguson incurred the wrath of the FA by claiming Martin Atkinson did not referee the game fairly.

Ferguson admitted after the game on Sunday that his team had lost two points, rather than gained one. United were 3-0 down after 50 minutes but rallied courtesy of two Wayne Rooney penalties and a late header from the substitute Javier Hernández.

United trail the Premier League leaders Manchester City by two points going into a difficult run of fixtures against Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and away at Norwich City.

Manchester UnitedSir Alex FergusonChelseaPremier League 2011-12Premier League
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The young goalkeeper illustrated his talent with a superb save from Chelsea’s Juan Mata in added time to preserve a point

David De Gea, whose fitness to succeed Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar is a constant source of debate, reimbursed a chunk of the £18.3m paid for his services by Manchester United when he preserved the 3-3 scoreline so dramatically secured by his team‑mates with a save that conspicuously illustrated the talent identified in the young Spaniard by Sir Alex Ferguson and his scouts.

In the first minute of added time Paul Scholes obstructed David Luiz 25 yards from the United goal, leading Howard Webb to award a free‑kick. Juan Mata, who had played a part in each of the goals that had given Chelsea a 3-0 lead, hit a fantastic 25‑yard free‑kick that was arrowing into the top right-hand corner until De

Even for a side with Manchester United’s powers of recovery, this was a remarkable demonstration of the competitive spirit and togetherness that makes them such formidable champions. Sir Alex Ferguson’s team were three behind after 50 minutes and facing the prospect of a chastening defeat before another feat of escapology from a side that have made these kind of comebacks their speciality over the years.

It was a remarkable game in which dubious refereeing and questionable defending both played a part, and each side could reflect that they had enough chances to win. The lingering memory, however, will be of United’s response to finding themselves staring at the possibility of defeat.

The game had seemed to lurch away from them at the start of the second half when Juan Mata lashed in a brilliant volley and David Luiz’s header took a decisive flick off Rio Ferdinand’s shoulder. Jonny Evan’s own goal, deflecting Daniel Sturridge’s cross past David de Gea, had given Chelsea a first-half advantage and, at 3-0, André Villas-Boas could probably have been forgiven for thinking his side had built an unassailable lead.

Instead, what followed was a display of remarkable character from Ferguson’s team. They replied with two goals in the space of ten minutes, both penalties from Wayne Rooney, to leave themselves with 22 minutes of normal time to salvage an equaliser. It came from the head of the substitute, Javier Hernández, in the 83rd minute and, from that point, United might actually feel disappointed they could not go on to complete the job.

Chelsea, too, had their chances, denied a late winner by two brilliant saves from De Gea on a day when Villas-Boas also felt the referee, Howard Webb, had been generous with both penalties. He had a point, although an incensed Ferguson could also argue that Gary Cahill could have been sent off for an early challenge on Danny Welbeck.

Premier League 2011-12ChelseaManchester UnitedPremier LeagueDaniel Taylor
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