Premier League
112

Chelsea Faces Charges Following Bottle Incident in Loss to Aston Villa

Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez and Robert Sanchez arguing with the match referee, along with Villa's Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers

Chelsea Faces FA Charges After Bottle Incident Post Villa Loss

Club Charged Following Matchday Incident

Chelsea FC has received charges from the Football Association after a plastic bottle was thrown in the direction of Aston Villa’s technical staff following a match in December. The incident occurred after Aston Villa’s thrilling 2-1 comeback victory at Stamford Bridge, which featured two late goals from Ollie Watkins that ignited wild celebrations among the traveling supporters.

Details of the Incident

  • The bottle was allegedly hurled towards the visitors’ bench now celebrating their joint-record 11th straight win in all competitions.
  • An FA statement indicated that Chelsea failed to ensure that their players and staff around the technical area acted in a non-provocative manner after the final whistle.
  • Initial investigations into the origins of the bottle’s launch suggested it may have come either from the stands or from the technical area itself, showering staff with a clear liquid presumed to be water.
  • Footage showed a member of Villa’s coaching staff gesturing toward Chelsea’s bench in a display of discontent during the chaos post-game.

Ongoing Investigations

Chelsea is currently conducting its own inquiry into the episode, though the club has not issued any remarks regarding the charges as of yet. BBC Sport has reached out to the club for further comments following the FA’s official statement.

Subscribe to GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

This situation highlights the ongoing challenges within football around crowd control and the responsibility of clubs to maintain a safe environment during and after matches.