Tottenham slapped with harsh FA fine after intense clash in West Ham win

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a £20,000 fine by the FA following a heated exchange during their 4-1 victory over West Ham.

The incident occurred late in the game when West Ham's Mohammed Kudus lashed out at Spurs defender Micky van de Ven, sparking a scuffle between both sets of players.

In the 82nd minute, tensions boiled over after Kudus kicked Van de Ven while he was on the ground. Things escalated when the West Ham player slapped the Dutch defender and shoved Tottenham midfielder Pape Sarr in the face.

Naturally, Spurs players didn't take kindly to this, and the situation quickly became a pushing-and-shoving match as emotions ran high on both sides.

VAR soon intervened, asking the match referee to review the incident on the pitchside monitor. After taking a closer look at the altercation, the referee had no choice but to show Kudus a red card for his unsportsmanlike behaviour.

Spurs fans were left fuming, feeling their team had handled the situation with restraint despite being provoked.

However, the FA has now confirmed that Tottenham were fined for failing to control their players during the altercation.

Tottenham slapped with harsh FA fine after intense clash in West Ham win

The charge is a fairly standard one, accusing the club of "failing to ensure their players didn’t behave in an improper and/or provocative way." While it may seem harsh given the circumstances, it’s a common punishment whenever things get a bit out of hand on the pitch.

Tottenham accepted the charge and fine without contest, acknowledging the part their players played in the incident. But many fans and even the players themselves feel that Spurs showed considerable restraint, especially given the intensity of Kudus’ actions.

Sarr and Van de Ven, in particular, managed to keep their cool in the face of what could only be described as reckless behaviour from the West Ham player.

Incidents like this are never ideal, and while Spurs will understandably feel aggrieved by the fine, they’ll need to accept it and move on. In the heat of the moment, it’s easy for tempers to flare, and even though Kudus was the instigator, Tottenham players were drawn into the fray.

Still, these kinds of scuffles are part of the game, and as much as Spurs did well to stand up for their teammates, they’ll need to avoid getting dragged into similar incidents in the future. For now, though, they’ll take the fine on the chin and focus on their next match.