Tottenham and Aston Villa have been hit with misconduct charges following their heated FA Cup third-round encounter. Morgan Rogers' strike secured a 2-1 triumph for Unai Emery's men on Saturday, eliminating Spurs from the competition. As the final whistle blew, Ollie Watkins' celebrations in front of Villa's away supporters prompted an aggressive response from Joao Palhinha.
The Tottenham midfielder shoved the opposing forward, which immediately drew the attention of Morgan Rogers and Lamare Bogarde. Personnel from both benches rushed towards the incident, triggering a mass confrontation.
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An FA spokesperson confirmed: "Tottenham Hotspur FC and Aston Villa FC have been charged with misconduct following their FA Cup match on Saturday 10 January.
"It's alleged that both clubs failed to ensure their players and/or officials did not behave in an improper and/or provocative way after the final whistle. Aston Villa FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC have until Friday 16 January to provide a response."
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Speaking after the final whistle, Thomas Frank suggested that Watkins had deliberately antagonised Palhinha.
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He commented: "I don't think so. I guess you have seen the situation through? I just saw it to be sure I saw what I saw.
"Of course, it's all about keeping a cool head. The players gave everything, everything out there, (but) losing a tight game, season not going perfect and I think Ollie is very provoking.
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"The way he is going down to celebrate in front of the Villa fans, and he is walking into Joao, he can just easily walk around. I think everyone that has been in a competitive nature, that is difficult and can trigger things."
Addressing concerns over Tottenham's disciplinary record, Frank insisted his squad's enthusiasm to end their three-match winless streak was the driving force behind their intensity.
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The Spurs manager explained: "I think it's like you need to play with passion and when you play with passion, then sometimes you play to the line. And sometimes a little bit borderline.
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"So, I see players with big passion that want to do very well for the club. And I think that's very important. And of course, you also need cool heads."