Chelsea and West Ham United have been formally charged by the Football Association (FA) following a large-scale altercation between players at the end of their Premier League match at Stamford Bridge.
The incident occurred deep into stoppage time during Saturday’s game at Stamford Bridge. The FA states that Chelsea did not stop their players from acting in an “improper and/or provocative way.” West Ham’s charge is more serious, as they are accused of failing to ensure their players did not behave in an “improper and/or provocative and/or violent way.”
Both clubs have until Friday, February 6, to answer the charges.
The trouble began in the 95th minute. West Ham’s Adama Traore and Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella tangled on the touchline while chasing the ball, leading to Traore throwing Cucurella to the ground. Chelsea’s Joao Pedro then pushed Traore in response.
The situation quickly escalated, with many players from both sides rushing to the scene. After the video assistant referee (VAR) reviewed the incident, West Ham defender Jean-Clair Todibo was shown a red card for violent conduct after he grabbed Joao Pedro by the throat.
The match itself was a dramatic affair. West Ham led 2-0 at half-time thanks to goals from Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville. Chelsea staged a strong second-half comeback, winning 3-2 with a 92nd-minute winning goal from Enzo Fernandez. This was the first time Chelsea have overturned a two-goal half-time deficit to win a Premier League game.
The result leaves West Ham in 18th place, six points from safety, while Chelsea move up to fifth in the league table.