The Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson is expected to discover on Monday whether there will be any repercussions after video showed him putting his hand in the face of Morato during a fiery 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge.
However, Chelsea’s head coach, Enzo Maresca, urged his players to carry on fighting to continue their strong start to the season.
Jackson, who had been substituted, emerged from the stand to join 15 to 20 players and staff in a brawl as tempers flared. Footage showed him apparently flailing to reach Morato, a second-half substitute for Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Video assistant referee officials confirmed they had seen the incident but did not consider it obvious enough violent conduct to change the decision of the on-field referee, Graham Kavanagh, to show yellow cards only to Marc Cucurella and Neco Williams. Professional Game Match Officials Limited considers the matter closed and Jackson is expected to escape sanction but the Football Association will make a final decision after assessing the referee’s report.
Chelsea face an FA hearing and a £25,000 fine after six of their players were booked, the second time that has happened this season, and it remains to be seen whether the scenes are could be regarded as bringing the game into disrepute, aside from any individual disciplinary charges.
Wesley Fofana was one of those booked and he and Cucurella will miss the Liverpool fixture under the totting-up procedure.
“If you ask me if I prefer when something like that happens – I like the spirit of our team,” Maresca said. “In terms of emotion, the team is fighting altogether and I don’t think some of them lose their heads. They were, all of them, in the game. I was happy with that.
“For sure, there are things that we can control and do better, and probably this is one of the things. But the way they are fighting together, the way they are doing things together, I’m very happy.”
Forest’s manager, Nuno Espírito Santo, who was himself booked, refused to condemn James Ward-Prowse for the deliberate grabbing of the ball that led to his sending-off.
“He did it for the team,” he said. “It was one versus one. What I am trying to say is: ‘Please, referees, understand that we are there on the touchline and on the pitch. It is very emotional.’”
