Tottenham Hotspur could be fined by the Football Association after home supporters were seen throwing objects onto the pitch during their 4-3 defeat to Chelsea. The Lilywhites began in the ascendancy on Sunday evening, with early goals from Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski, only for the Blues to mount a stunning comeback.
Jadon Sancho's emphatic finish, two spot-kicks converted by Cole Palmer and a strike from Enzo Fernandez saw Chelsea take a commanding lead, before Son Heung-min netted a late goal that served as little more than a consolation for the home team.
The match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was not short of controversy, with both Kulusevski and Moises Caicedo involved in incidents that might have warranted red cards in another game. The atmosphere was electric, but tensions boiled over in the first-half, leading to the unsavoury scenes.
Before kick-off, Spurs fans had been given pieces of paper for a pre-match tifo display spelling out "audere est facere" – the club's motto meaning "to dare is to do". However, some of these papers were later thrown onto the pitch when Chelsea players prepared to take corners near the South Stand.
General view inside the stadium, as fans display a tifo which reads "Audere est facere" prior to the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Chelsea FC
The paper for the pre-match tifo was later thrown at Chelsea players (Image: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
According to the Mirror, the FA are now looking into the matter, reviewing video evidence and Anthony Taylor's report to decide if further action is necessary. This incident adds insult to injury for Tottenham, who not only lost ground in the Premier League but now also risk a fine due to the conduct of their fans.
Palmer, Fernandez, Sancho and Pedro Neto were targeted while attempting to take set-pieces. The on-field referee was summoned to address the issue, with stewards assisting Chelsea players in clearing the pitch of objects thrown at them.
Stewards clear the pitch of paper flyers
The paper had to be cleared off the pitch by stewards on a few occasions (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
"Where are the people in the stands, the stewards? Don't just stand there watching, get in there," said Jamie Carragher while on co-commentary duties for Sky Sports. "What are these Tottenham stewards doing? There's three of them behind Cole Palmer just stood there watching him."
Despite the behaviour of Spurs fans, Palmer remained unfazed, calmly collecting the debris and kicking it off the pitch while waiting for order to be restored before taking his corner. It wasn't until the second-half that he truly came into his own and began influencing the game for the Blues.
He confidently scored his first penalty, sending Fraser Forster the wrong way, after Yves Bissouma slid in and fouled Caicedo in the area. The 22-year-old cheekily chipped his second penalty down the middle to make it 4-2 after Pape Sarr clumsily knocked him over in the box.
The win propelled Chelsea to second place, surpassing Arsenal who were held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham on Sunday. In contrast, Tottenham are languishing in 11th place following their seventh loss from 15 league matches this season.
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Chelsea flag prior the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between Chelsea FC and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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