Chelsea vs Tottenham: Mousa Dembele faces likely ban for Diego Costa eye-gouge as Gary Cahill calls for leniency

The Football Association was this afternoon still preparing charges for players involved in Monday night’s tempestuous game between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea centre-back Gary Cahill called for leniency.

Tottenham saw their title dreams ended by the 2-2 draw, and the second half descended into a series of unseemly confrontations between players from the two teams. Mousa Dembele is likely to face a retrospective ban from an apparent eye-gouge on Diego Costa which referee Mark Clattenburg did not see, while Danny Rose and unused substitute Michel Vorm were also involved in a scene after the final whistle with Costa which saw Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink knocked to the ground.

Mauricio Pochettino had to intervene to separate players both on the pitch during the game and immediately after the whistle. The FA is likely to take action against individuals from both sides, and the clubs themselves, once reports are filed, which are expected on Tuesday afternoon.

But Cahill, whose goal early in the second half turned the game, made the case for leniency for both sets of players.

“In games like that the passion is there and the commitment is there and I don’t mind that,” Cahill said. “There is a lot at stake.”

“We came in afterwards and everyone’s emotions soon settled down,” Cahill continued. “As far as we were concerned, when the final whistle went that was the end of it. I thought the game was terrific. When there is so much at stake you cannot expect players to roll over. We’re all competitive, that’s the way it is. People should enjoy the game for what it was.”

After a disappointing season for Chelsea, Cahill hailed the 2-2 draw as one of the best games of their year, with heightened emotions to match. “It was just natural that when the game was finished the emotions calmed down,” he said. “The atmosphere was one of the best I have played in for ages. It was incredible. And with that you are going to get emotions running high. But then afterwards they just calm down.”

“The game was fantastic – it was played at an unbelievable pace. It was the fastest game I have played in a long time. People will be talking about the tackles flying but there was so much quality out there as well. I loved playing in it.”