Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa have been charged with misconduct by the Football Association following a mass brawl at the end of their FA Cup third-round tie at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last weekend.
The FA alleges that both clubs “failed to ensure their players and/or officials did not behave in an improper and/or provocative way after the final whistle.” The clubs have until Friday, January 16, to respond to the charge.
The altercation began when Spurs midfielder Joao Palhinha pushed Villa striker Ollie Watkins, who had celebrated in front of the away fans after scoring the winner. Villa players Morgan Rogers and Lamare Bogarde intervened, and players and staff from both sides became involved.
Spurs manager Thomas Frank accused Watkins of being provocative, saying: “The way he is going down to celebrate in front of the Villa fans, and he is walking into Joao, he can just easily walk around. I think everyone that has been in a competitive nature, that is difficult and can trigger things.”
Frank defended his team's discipline, stating that playing with passion sometimes leads to borderline challenges. Spurs were without captain Cristian Romero, who was serving a suspension for his red card against Liverpool.
