Bans Likely For Tottenham Stars

The match between Tottenham and Chelsea very quickly got out of hand on Monday.

The two London rivals played a heavy, chippy match and Tottenham are likely to be missing two of their most important players for the final two matches of the season.

The first and more likely to receive a “violent conduct” ban is Mousa Dembélé. In the dying minutes of the first half Danny Rose came in cynically on Willian after he had knocked the ball past him. Willian immediately got up to confront Rose and a shoving match ensued. Once Mauricio Pochettino got himself involved and things really broke down, Dembélé came face to face with Diego Costa.

In real time what happens next happens so fast that very few on the pitch get a chance to see it. However, upon further review it looks very much like Dembélé scratches at Costa’s eye. Worst case scenario it’s seen as an “eye gouge” and a ban of at least three games is handed down.

Best case scenario it’s seen as some sort of “unnecessary hands to the face” and Dembélé is done for the year. Either way, things don’t look good for Mousa Dembélé. Costa is certainly the master of winding people up and getting them to do something stupid, and he certainly got the better of Dembele on this occasion.

The other Tottenham regular who the cameras caught being naughty is Érik Lamela. As Cesc Fàbregas is down on all fours Lamela casually walks past the Spaniard and steps directly on his hand. None of the officials seemed to see what happened and Lamela’s demeanor seems innocuous enough.

However, knowing Lamela’s reputation and style of play, it’s hard to imagine there wasn’t at least a bit of malice involved. No punishment was given out on the pitch and if it doesn’t go into Mark Clattenburg’s match report, then that’s the end of it. Lamela is significantly less likely to face retroactive discipline, but again, don’t be surprised if he gets at least one game for his actions.

Tottenham have done a wonderful job this season of walking the fine line between “hard” and “dirty”. It’s disappointing to say it, but in this match they very clearly crossed that line. Conversations can be had about Clattenburg losing control of the match, but the bottom line is that Spurs should have been able to keep their heads.

Chelsea’s single objective on the pitch and the days leading up to it was to wind Tottenham up and get under their skin. Chelsea, as a football team right now, have absolutely nothing to play for. All they wanted last night was to ruin the day for Tottenham and their supporters, and they did in more ways than one. Watching things post match you would have thought Chelsea won the title themselves.

Perhaps this was a reminder that Tottenham are a young team, and hopefully this will serve as a good lesson for them going forward. Tottenham had the match won going into the second half, but they let the moment and the mind games of Chelsea Football Club get the better of them.

Next: Spurs Implode, Winless Streak at Stamford Bridge Continues

Chelsea and Tottenham don’t like each other. The two London rivals never mince words when they get together. This match got out of hand quickly and stayed at a frantic pace for the full 90 minutes. The west Londoners may have gotten the last laugh on the day, and even if Tottenham’s entire midfield is banned for the remainder of the season, only one of the two clubs will be playing midweek European football next season.