Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea: these are two sides who obviously don’t like each other very much, with the rivalry reaching a new and nastier level this week. These two London clubs played an emotional, physical 2-2 draw Monday night that might have produced the ugliest scenes in the long history of the rivalry.
A few days after the match, there’s still plenty of new stories emerging from the fall out, Let’s run through a bunch of them now.
-According to the Daily Mail, Tottenham players blame Chelsea star Cesc Fabregas for causing the brawl during Monday’s Battle of the Bridge by slapping players in the groin and using verbal abuse.
Via The Sun, Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink was forced to hold back a member of club staff outside Tottenham’s dressing room after Monday’s fractious 2-2 draw saying “I’m the boss – listen to me and do as you’re told.”
Via the Daily Mirror:
-“Tottenham had to restrain reserve goalkeeper Michel Vorm during the melee at full-time at Stamford Bridge on Monday.
-“Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen says Chelsea’s desperation to deny them on Monday showed Spurs have finally earned their respect.”
Tottenham Hotspur received nine bookings, the most that any one team has received in a single match in Premier League history. That means Spurs will be hit with an automatic fine from the Football Association, as many team that receives six or more automatically gets slapped with a fine of at least £25,000. Chelsea were booked three times, bringing the match total to a whopping 12!
Hiddink, who made some harshly condescending remarks about Tottenham before the game, was knocked down in a postgame melee that ensued near the tunnel. (See the video of the postgame fight here)
This wasn’t the only fracas in the match. Mousa Dembele eye-gouged Diego Costa (video). The FA said that he’ll receive more than a three match ban for his actions, meaning the Football Association will likely force him to sit the rest of this season and part of next. He has until tomorrow to respond to the charges.
Both Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have been charged by the FA with “failure to control their players.” They have until the 9th to respond to the charges.
After the match, Tottenham Hotspur striker and face of the franchise Harry Kane said: “It’s the Premier League we are fighting for. It’s what we want to win. There’s going to be some challenges, it was a London derby and the crowd were up for it and we needed to win – that’s just football.”
Long time Chelsea leader and defensive stalwart John Terry: “It was a London derby we hadn’t lost in 26 years. It was always going to boil over. A couple of times, it got out of hand but players are fighting for points and titles. It’s emotions – that’s football.”
Chelsea Defender Gary Cahill told Sky Sports: “I wasn’t surprised – I always thought it was going to be like that.”
Added Hiddink: “I took one of my players Fabregas down the tunnel because there were words in Spanish and there were threatening words [from the players] and this is a normal reaction.
“Even at my age, I had no problem falling down! These incidents we mustn’t have but in the end, it was ‘let’s calm down’.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram