This archive report was first published on 24 December 2019.
December 24, 2019
Tottenham Hotspur's appeal against Son Heung-min's red card has been rejected by the Football Association, dealing a significant blow to the team's chances in their upcoming matches.
The South Korean winger was given a red card in the second half of Spurs' 2-0 loss to Chelsea at home in a London derby on Sunday after VAR confirmed he had kicked out at Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger after being fouled.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was critical of Rudiger's reaction in the build-up to Son's dismissal, suggesting he should have stood up for himself, but Blues boss Frank Lampard defended his player's conduct.
"It (the sending off) wasn't brutal but it was instinctive that warrants a red card in the modern day," Lampard said, adding that he wouldn't question Rudiger's integrity on the matter.
Meanwhile, Tottenham has banned a supporter for throwing a cup at Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, one of several worrying incidents that marred the match.
Spurs said they had identified and issued an immediate ban to the individual responsible for the incident, and vowed to take the strongest action possible against anyone found to be behaving in this way.
