Premier League refereeing panel says Cole Palmer merited dismissal in Tottenham defeat

An independent Premier League key match incidents panel has ruled that referee Chris Kavanagh was wrong not to send off Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer during the 2-0 defeat by Tottenham on 24 October.

The incident followed a handball by Tottenham midfielder Mateus Fernandes, who had stopped a pass. As Fernandes got back to his feet, Palmer approached him in protest and pushed him, making contact with his opponent’s face.

Kavanagh showed Palmer a yellow card for the challenge.

However, after reviewing footage, the five-member panel concluded that Palmer should have been dismissed for aggressive conduct.

Three members said the contact with Fernandes’ head was clear and that Palmer’s actions were unjustified, dangerous and carried out with excessive force.

The other two members of the panel supported Kavanagh’s original decision to issue a yellow card.