Tensions reached a boiling point at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this past Saturday, January 10. Aston Villa knocked Tottenham Hotspur out of the FA Cup with a 2-1 victory. Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett warned that both clubs now face serious trouble.
Post-Match Fury Marred the North London Clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa
Hackett spoke exclusively to Football Insider and criticised referee Craig Pawson for losing control of the game. He suggested Pawson’s leniency let emotions simmer until they boiled over at the full-time whistle. The chaos kicked off moments after the final whistle confirmed Villa’s win.
Ollie Watkins had already upset the home fans and celebrated right in front of a clearly angry Joao Palhinha. The Spurs midfielder was already on a yellow card for a late challenge on Morgan Rogers. He reacted furiously.
Xavi Simons and Pedro Porro jumped into the mix, while Rogers leapt to defend Watkins. This sparked a massive scrap involving staff and substitutes from both benches. Hackett noted that Pawson missed several chances to calm things down earlier in the match.
He specifically pointed to a reckless challenge by Simons that referees left unpunished. He believed the FA would not look the other way, especially since the brawl happened so close to the fans. The former referee insisted the governing body would check video footage to pick out the main aggressors. The FA will likely charge Palhinha and Rogers individually and hit the clubs with standard ‘failure to control’ citations.
“When these actions take place, and they’re moving towards spectators, you only need a couple of idiots or passionate fans to jump over the fence and come onto the pitch. Then, you’ve got a massive problem,” he said.
“I have no doubt that the FA will charge them this week for failing to control their players. If they actually review the video and look at individual players, and the referee says he hasn’t seen it, they will take retrospective action.
“I think there’s the potential for a big fine. In my day, there was the agreement that clubs could be fined up to £250,000, but that’s in the Premier League, not the FA Cup. The clubs have agreed that if there’s a punishment, the players will pay.“
Why The FA Will Likely Hand Out Harsh Penalties?
The Football Association rarely ignores big confrontations that spill over near the stands. Hackett predicts heavy fines, potentially topping £250,000. This fits with recent decisions the regulatory commission has made. The governing body puts player safety and crowd control above everything else.
Palhinha and Rogers got into a physical fight just inches from the fans. These actions risk causing a pitch invasion, a danger the FA works hard to prevent. Thomas Frank is already under massive pressure as Tottenham manager. He now faces the possibility of losing key players during a vital part of the season.
A retrospective ban for Palhinha would take away Spurs’ main defensive anchor. Similarly, Unai Emery could lose Rogers, who is a huge part of Villa’s attack. The footage shows clear aggression; Palhinha shoved Watkins, and Rogers made the conflict worse instead of trying to end it. The authorities usually see retrospective action as a necessary move when officials miss a serious incident during the game.
The specific high-stakes nature of this match also makes a heavy punishment more likely. The FA tends to be tougher on incidents in big games where millions of people watch the trouble unfold. Both managers failed to calm the situation down, leaving their clubs open to punishment from the league. The FA are expected to announce charges in the next few days, with long suspensions likely for those who started the fracas.