The 40-year-old was criticised for sending off Per Mertesacker in Arsenal's loss to Chelsea - but former Premier League referee Mark Halsey believes he has become England's finest

Mark Clatenburg is not just the best in the Premier League, he’s one of the best in the world. Some say Howard Webb is the best referee we’ve ever had, but I don’t think he gets anywhere near Clattenburg.

Clattenburg is full of natural ability, he’s better than Jack Taylor, who took charge of the 1974 World Cup final, and he’s better than Webb, without a shadow of doubt.

When do you see him get a major decision wrong? His fitness is excellent so he’s never caught out of position, his communication and rapport with the players is spot on, and his recognition of fouls/non-fouls is first class. Not only does he have it all, but he’s delivering quality performances in every game.

At the rate he’s going, he has an excellent chance of taking charge of the Champions League final.

Looking at Per Mertesacker’s red card - it doesn’t matter if the German didn’t make contact with Diego Costa. In the laws of the game, tripping, or attempting to trip an opponent, is punishable by a direct free-kick.

When Mertesacker made the challenge, he ran the risk. Clattenburg looked at how far the incident was from goal, saw Costa was in control of the ball, and knew that there were no defenders properly covering. It was a clear goal-scoring opportunity and Clattenburg had no choice but to show the red card.

Although Arsene Wenger complained after the match about the sending off, the Arsenal players, including Mertesacker, didn’t offer much of a protest at the time. As a referee, that’s when you know you’ve got the decision right, if the players accept it with minimal fuss.

Arsenal could have been punished even further as Laurent Koscielny blocked off Cesc Fabregas in the box. Clattenburg had to be 100 per cent sure if he wanted to give a penalty, if it happened outside the box, those decisions are easier to give.

But overall, Clattenburg’s movement, positioning and level of fitness was outstanding. For any referees wanting to improve their game, all they need to do is watch his performances every week.