Mousa Dembele has been handed a six-match ban by the Football Association for gouging Diego Costa’s eye in Tottenham Hotspur’s explosive showdown with Chelsea on Monday.
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It had been suggested that the Belgian could end up missing as many as 10 games for his alleged assault on Costa in the first half of Monday night’s bad tempered Premier League meeting at Stamford Bridge.
That means, if found guilty, Dembele, who has until 6pm today to respond to the charge, will miss the two games left this season and the opening weeks of the next.
Spurs and the Blues have also been charged with three counts each of failing to control their players during Monday’s bad-tempered London derby at Stamford Bridge.
Dembele accepted the charge that had been labelled against him, though denying the FA’s claim that the usual three-match ban would be insufficient in his case.
In addition to Dembele, both Chelsea and Tottenham have been hit with three separate breaches of failing to control their players and officials. It was one of several ugly exchanges in a heated match, during which players repeatedly lost their cool. “I think our opponents don’t like to play against us because we show passion”.
I would imagine that Spurs will get it in the neck significantly harder than Chelsea, since they spent much of the second half trying to break legs (which isn’t to say we were totally blameless in the violent stakes).
“We had a discussion on the pitch during the game”, Pochettino said. “After he came and apologised and nothing happened”, Pochettino said. Tottenham are already facing an automatic fine after their players incurred a Premier League record nine bookings.
The Londoners are guaranteed a top-four finish and Champions League qualifying spot but will want to end the season as runners-up ahead of rivals Arsenal who are three points behind.
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Dembele’s fellow Spurs midfielder Dele Alli was last week given a season-ending three-game ban after being caught on camera punching West Bromwich Albion midfielder Claudio Yacob in the stomach.
