Sometimes, the football Gods just present you with a perfect comedy opportunity.

Call it fate, call it luck or call it destiny, but every now and again, the universe decides that we deserve the chance to have a chuckle.

One such occasion: the moment the referee was appointed for the Arsenal vs Chelsea friendly in China.

Incredibly, the man in the middle for the pre-season match in Beijing's Bird's Nest was…

*drum roll*

… a gentleman by the name of Fu Ming.

As names of football officials go, it's almost too perfect.

And while there were plenty of things to enjoy about watching Arsenal take on the Premier League champions in the Chinese capital - the new kits, Pedro almost being decapitated by David Ospina, Gunners fans getting angry about their side's defensive sloppiness - the name of the referee has got an awful lot of mentions on social media.

Pedro *just about* keeps his head (
Image:
REUTERS)

And you can imagine the nature of the gags doing the rounds…