Battle of the Bridge was the hardest match I've refereed

The game in 2016 that has become known as 'The Battle of the Bridge' was by far the hardest match I have ever refereed.

There was so much at stake and you could sense the tension. Tottenham needed to win to keep their title hopes alive and Chelsea had nothing to lose.

All week they had been talking about beating Spurs at all costs.

You would imagine some needle from the likes of Diego Costa but players who rarely got into trouble started doing things you would never have expected from them.

Erik Lamela trod on Cesc Fabregas's hand, Mauricio Pochettino had to run on to the pitch to stop Danny Rose from clashing with Willian and Mousa Dembele scratched Costa's eye.

Had I seen that last incident, Dembele would have been dismissed.

Looking back, I should have sent off Eric Dier for a lunge on Eden Hazard towards the end. Refereeing this kind of match is a fine balancing act between applying the laws and managing the spectacle.

There would have been few complaints if I had sent off four players that night but equally I could have been accused of ruining what was a great game. No matter what I had done, I don't think I could have won.

Tuesday's referee, Michael Oliver, has taken charge of this match three times.

He will know what to expect — though it should be a more cagey affair given this is the first leg of a semi-final.

The big difference this time is that VAR is in action. Dembele was subsequently banned for the incident with Costa but had technology been available, he would have been punished there and then.

It is why I am astonished that Pochettino has said his players need to be naughty. That is not exactly the best thing to say when both clubs have urged their fans to behave themselves.

He may be trying to get a reaction from his players — especially given this competition represents Tottenham's best chance of winning a trophy — but any dirty tricks at Wembley will be spotted and punished.