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Chelsea fined £150k for Villa bottle incident

BBC Sport •
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The Football Association has fined Chelsea £150,000 after an unidentified staff member threw a plastic water bottle at Aston Villa's bench following their 2-1 Premier League defeat in December. The incident occurred after Ollie Watkins' two late goals sparked wild celebrations from the visitors at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea accepted a misconduct charge for failing to ensure personnel behaved properly after the final whistle. An independent FA commission deemed the act dangerous and capable of provoking a reaction, though neither the club nor the FA could identify the specific individual responsible for the throw.

The sanction follows a hearing on 19 January, with the decision remaining subject to appeal under FA regulations. This punishment reinforces the league's zero-tolerance stance on post-match misconduct, particularly from technical area staff, and serves as a costly reminder for clubs to maintain discipline regardless of match outcome.