Mousa Dembele charged: Tottenham midfielder charged with act of violent conduct by FA for Costa eye gouge
The incident happened during the first half of the 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge on Monday evening
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Your support makes all the difference.Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have been charged with three offences of failing to control their players and/or officials during Monday's Premier League match at Stamford Bridge, the Football Association has announced, while Spurs midfielder Mousa Dembele has been charged separately for an alleged act of violent conduct during the 2-2 draw. The clubs have until
The Belgian has until 6pm on Thursday to respond to the charge, which relates to an incident involving Chelsea forward Diego Costa toward the end of the first half, in which the Spurs midfielder appeared to strike Costa in the face.
The incident, which "constituted violent conduct in circumstances where the standard punishment of three matches that would otherwise apply is clearly insufficient" was said to be unseen by match officials and will be referred to a three-man FA panel.
Dembele is expected to get a six-game suspension, which would rule him out of Spurs' remaining games this season - at home to Southampton on Sunday and away to Newcastle United seven days later - as well as they first four League games of next season.
With the 2016/17 season starting on the weekend of Saturday 13 August, Dembele's first match of next term is likely to be Tottenham's opening Champions League group match - the club all but certain of the required top three finish - which would take place on 13 or 14 September.
The charges for the clubs relate to "incidents which occured in the 45th and 87th minutes and also at the end of the game", with both sides having until Monday 9 May to respond.
The match included nine seperate yellow cards for Tottenham, a record for one club in a single Premier League match.
Mark Clattenburg booked Spurs defenders Jan Vertonghen, Danny Rose and Kyle Walker, midfielder Eric Dier, Dembele, Erik Lamela, Ryan Mason and Christian Eriksen and forward Harry Kane.
Chelsea also had three players booked during the feisty encounter - Willian, Branislav Ivanovic and John Obi Mikel.
Dembele's fellow Spurs midfielder Dele Alli is already serving a retrospective three-game suspension after being charged with violent conduct following an incident with West Bromwich Albion midfielder Claudio Yacob during the 1-1 draw between the sides at White Hart Lane last month.
Tottenham were also charged with failing to control their players during December's league match at West Bromwich Albion, with the Football Association fining them £20,000.
Second-half goals from Gary Cahill and Eden Hazard earned Chelsea a point in Monday's fractious encounter, a result which ended Spurs' lingering title hopes and secured the Premier League crown for Leicester City.
Kane and Heung-min Son had given Spurs the lead at half-time, although they were unable to hold on and remain without a win at Stamford Bridge in 26 years.
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