Panel rules Cole Palmer should have seen straight red as Tottenham were denied penalty

Chelsea star Cole Palmer should have been shown a straight red card for an altercation with Tottenham midfielder Mateus Fernandes during the Stamford Bridge derby, while Spurs were wrongly denied a penalty in their 2-0 victory, according to the Premier League's Independent Key Match Incidents Panel.

The five-member panel, composed of former players, coaches, and referees, concluded that referee Chris Kavanagh made errors in both situations, though neither crossed the high threshold required for VAR John Brooks to intervene.

By a 3-2 majority, the panel determined that Palmer should have been dismissed for his reaction to Fernandes, who had stopped a Blues counter-attack by falling on the ball and handling it. As the Portuguese midfielder got back to his feet, Palmer pushed him and struck him in the head, receiving only a yellow card on the pitch.

In their official assessment, the majority of the panel deemed the on-field decision incorrect, noting that the contact with Fernandes' head was completely unnecessary, dangerous, and executed with excessive force. Two members defended the caution, arguing the action was aggressive but lacked excessive force. All five agreed that VAR was correct not to intervene after the on-field yellow card was issued.

Palmer was eventually sent off later in the contest after receiving a second booking for a foul on Conor Gallagher — a decision backed 4-1 by the panel. The experts were also unanimous that Jan Paul van Hecke did not commit a foul on goalkeeper Mike Penders, who conceded an own goal from a Fernandes corner for Spurs' opening strike.

In another 3-2 vote, the panel ruled that Tottenham should have been awarded a penalty when Moises Caicedo held Dominic Solanke inside the box before Mathys Tel sealed the 2-0 victory. The report noted that Caicedo sustained a hold on the striker without looking at the ball, restricting his movement, though the VAR's decision not to intervene was also supported by a 3-2 margin.

The panel identified another missed penalty across the round, concluding that Elliot Anderson should have been penalised for a foul on Aston Villa's Johan Manzambi during Manchester City's 2-1 defeat at Villa Park. As with the other incidents, it was not deemed a "clear and obvious error" requiring VAR intervention.

Overall, out of 30 key incidents reviewed across the eighth round of fixtures, 26 on-field refereeing calls were supported, including the correct VAR intervention to rule out Joe Willock's goal for offside in Newcastle's 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.