In a recent turn of events, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest have been fined by The Football Association (FA) due to disciplinary issues that arose during their match on the 7th day of the Premier League. This incident has stirred up quite a bit of controversy in the football world. The game, hosted by Chelsea, was dominated by them but ended in a 1-1 draw. After a goalless first half, Chris Wood from Nottingham Forest scored within three minutes into the second half. However, this lead was short-lived as Noni Madueke from Chelsea equalized with an impressive solo effort.
Despite being an evenly contested match on paper, it was marred by controversial incidents towards its conclusion which led to both clubs falling under FA investigation. Towards the end of the game, players from both sides got involved in an altercation that escalated quickly. The chaos began when Neco Williams from Forest pushed Marc Cucurella into Enzo Maresca - Chelsea manager.
This incident triggered confrontations between players from both teams leading to further chaos on-field. Notably caught amidst this melee was Nicolas Jackson - a substituted striker for Blues who slapped Morato - a defender for Forest.
FA's response and punishment
The incident involving Jackson slapping Morato went viral almost instantly after it happened but surprisingly no action was taken against him by FA. Instead, they decided to charge both clubs for failing to control their players during this heated exchange.
After nearly three weeks since this incident occurred on October 6th, punishments were finally issued out with fines amounting £50k & £150k respectively imposed upon Chelsea and Nottingham Forest due to their inability in controlling their players which led to pitch melee.
However these fines were reduced after both clubs admitted fault. Chelsea now has to pay £40k while Nottingham Forest is required to pay £125k. The larger fine for Forest is due to their repeated disciplinary issues - this being their 6th such incident in the last three years, compared to Chelsea's 3rd in the last five years.
What lies ahead for Chelsea
Despite this setback, it's unlikely that these charges will cause much concern for Chelsea management. Their focus remains on upcoming fixtures before New Year’s. Currently at 5th place in Premier League table with 17 points, they are just a point behind Unai Emery’s Aston Villa.
Several big games await them in the league from November 3rd to December 8th including matches against Manchester United away, Arsenal at home and Spurs away from home.
This period promises to be an exciting yet nerve-wracking time for Blues supporters as they navigate through these challenging fixtures.
