Chelsea versus Tottenham Hotspur Micky van de Ven of Tottenham Hotspur complains to referee Stuart Attwell after a contentious decision on 19 May, 2026
Chelsea versus Tottenham Hotspur Micky van de Ven of Tottenham Hotspur complains to referee Stuart Attwell after a contentious decision on 19 May, 2026
That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that Cole Palmer may have inadvertently saved him from a red card.
In the 71st minute at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, 24 October, the game burst into life, as Van de Ven and Palmer were joined by Mateus Fernandes in the referee's notebook.
Frustrated by Fernandes' grabbing of the ball on the floor, stopping the Blues' attack, Chelsea's No.10 barged his opponent in the face.
It could have very easily have been a straight red card for Palmer in that moment, but the controversy may have stopped Chris Kavanagh from giving the same punishment to Spurs' star defender.
Moments before, Van de Ven had scythed Moises Caicedo down with a high studs-up challenge, for which he was cautioned once emotions were brought back down.
Micky van de Ven's challenge 'has to be outlawed'
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Hackett reviewed the incident more closely and argued that Van de Ven should have been sent off.
"He's lucky. He came in at pace. He was out of control. And that foot was pretty high. And he came into contact with his opponent," he said.
"So when you look at the requirement for the law in terms of serious foul play, he escaped. Yes, he got a yellow card, but for me, that type of challenge has to be outlawed.
"Therefore, he's very fortunate that he didn't get a red. I think what happened afterwards took away the focus on that one incident."
Palmer eventually saw red, being shown a second yellow for a stamp on Conor Gallagher, and Morgan Rogers was fortunate not to join him later on.
Cole Palmer set to only miss one game
A straight red card for Van de Ven would have been a huge problem for Roberto De Zerbi's side, though the manager does have options.
The same goes for Xabi Alonso, who is now without Palmer for Chelsea's clash against Manchester United on Saturday, 31 October.
Two cautions means that the 24-year-old will only miss one game, but many will feel that he deserves a longer suspension for his challenges.
Hackett also felt that he should have been sent off in the Blues' win over Everton, so Alonso may have a growing problem on his hands.