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May 16, 2016


Chelsea, Spurs Hit With Big Fines  (Sky Sports)

Mousa Dembele appeared to gouge Diego Costa's eyeLondon rivals Chelsea and Tottenham have been hit with large fines by the FA following the fractious 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge on May 2.

Both clubs admitted three breaches of failing to control their players and/or officials and Chelsea have been fined £375,000 while Spurs will have to pay £225,000.

An FA statement said the fines are for "incidents which occurred in the 45th and 87th minutes, and also at the end of their fixture at Stamford Bridge.

"Prior to this fixture, Chelsea had breached FA Rule E20 on four separate occasions and Tottenham Hotspur twice since November 2014.

"Following the Independent Regulatory Commission hearing, both clubs were also warned as to their future conduct."

Having trailed 2-0 at half-time on that night in early May, Chelsea fought back to secure a dramatic 2-2 draw, a result which knocked Spurs out of the title running and ensured that Leicester would be crowned Premier League champions.

A stormy derby encounter, it featured a number of ugly flashpoints, and 12 bookings in total, nine of the yellow cards going to Spurs players, which is a Premier League record.

The match boiled over just before half-time when a clash between Danny Rose and Willian sparked a brawl in which Mousa Dembele appeared to gouge Diego Costa's eye, an offence for which the Tottenham midfielder was subsequently handed a six-match ban.

And a further brawl erupted in the closing stage of the match, following Eden Hazard's 83rd-minute equaliser.

There was also a large-scale melee near the tunnel at full-time, which involved players and coaches from both sides, during which Chelsea's interim boss Guus Hiddink was pushed to the ground.



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