Chelsea and Everton have been charged by the FA after Wednesday’s stormy Premier League encounter but Branislav Ivanovic will face no action for his clash with James McCarthy.
“Both Chelsea and Everton have been charged by the FA for failing to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and/or refrained from provocative behaviour,” the governing body said in a statement on Thursday.
Tempers flared in the 86th minute of Chelsea’s 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge as players from both teams confronted each other and Chelsea defender Ivanovic went unpunished after grabbing Everton midfielder McCarthy in an unseemly tussle.
Serb Ivanovic will face no action, however, after the FA said a three-member panel that reviewed the incident did not agree it was a sending-off offence.
Chelsea, who are seven points clear at the top of the table, have been without striker Diego Costa for the last three matches after he was banned for stamping.
Manager Jose Mourinho was also recently fined by the FA for suggesting there was a “campaign” to influence referees’ decisions against his team.
