Palmer should have been sent off for Fernandes barge – panel

The Premier League's Key Match Incidents panel ruled that Cole Palmer should have received a straight red card for violent conduct during Chelsea's 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. Palmer barged into midfielder Mateus Fernandes in the 70th minute, prompting a caution from referee Chris Kavanagh. The panel voted 3:2 that an on-field dismissal was warranted, though it unanimously backed VAR John Brooks' choice not to overturn the decision.

Palmer was later sent off in the 80th minute following a second yellow card for a foul on Jan Paul van Hecke. That dismissal carried a one-match ban served in a Carabao Cup defeat against Liverpool. A straight red card for violent conduct would have resulted in a three-match suspension, which would have ruled him out of Chelsea's subsequent 2-0 victory over Manchester United.