Cahill hopes for FA understanding after fiery Tottenham clash

Gary Cahill wants the Football Association (FA) to take the magnitude of Chelsea’s Premier League encounter with Tottenham on Monday into account when deciding possible retrospective punishments.

Tottenham took on rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge knowing dropped points would end their title challenge and crown Leicester as champions.

A fiery match saw 12 players booked, while there were skirmishes towards the end of the first half and following the final whistle, the latter of which resulted in Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink falling into the dugout, with the clubs likely to face punishment for failing to control their players.

Tottenham surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Chelsea, but Cahill believes the circumstances surrounding the match should be taken into account.

“I think the FA should take the occasion into consideration. You are going to get emotions running high,” said Cahill.

“We came in afterwards and everyone’s emotions soon settled down. As far as we were concerned, when the final whistle went that was the end of it.”

Individuals could also be facing punishment, with Tottenham’s Mousa Dembele appearing to put his fingers into the eyes of Diego Costa before half-time.

However, Cahill did not feel tempers went too far at Stamford Bridge, claiming he enjoyed taking part.

“I think you’re asking the wrong guy [if it crossed the line] because in games like that the passion is there and the commitment is there and I don’t mind that. There was a lot at stake,” said the centre-back.

“We know what it takes and how hard it is to win the league. You work hard every day and dedicate your whole season to try to win the league. Tottenham did that and just fell short.

“So we knew what was at stake for them and I think it showed how well they did by not coming here and rolling over. And at the same time, we didn’t either.

“People will be talking about the tackles flying but there was so much quality out there as well. I loved playing in it.

“It was a proper game, a real local derby. There was a lot at stake, especially for Tottenham. And we knew what it meant to our fans as well.

“Sure it boiled over at times, but that’s because there was so much at stake. We’re all competitive, that’s the way it is. People should enjoy the game for what it was.”

Tottenham defender Danny Rose apologised for the scenes following the final whistle.

“It is not nice to see for kids here or kids watching on TV, I apologise if it looked bad on TV,” he said. 

“It is a London derby. It is to be expected.

“We wanted to win and they wanted to stop us having any more say in the title race. There are no bad words to say about Chelsea. These are the games you want to be part of. It was a great game.”