Chelsea star Branislav Ivanovic found himself at the centre of a storm on Wednesday night that had people questioning whether he had bitten Everton’s James McCarthy.
Moments before Willian grabbed a last-minute winner to maintain Chelsea’s seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League, Ivanovic got embroiled in a melee between both sets of players.
Ivanovic first grabbed McCarthy around the throat, nearly throttling him, before he aimed a head-butt at the Everton midfielder.
Video footage showed Ivanovic, himself the victim of a Luis Suarez bite two years ago, appearing to bite McCarthy.
Sources close to McCarthy later said that he did feel teeth on his shoulder, though he did not believe it to be a bite.
Other Everton players said they saw Ivanovic press his head into McCarthy and appear to catch his teeth on his shoulder. Chelsea sources insisted that Ivanovic denied biting McCarthy.
But the defender could still face a retrospective three-match ban, which would rule him out of the Capital One Cup final, over the incident if referee Jon Moss claims he did not see the full extent of it.
FA disciplinary chiefs are almost certain to investigate the altercation on Thursday morning.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho stormed out of a BBC interview when asked about the Ivanovic incident and when questioned by BT Sport, he replied: ‘Don’t make me laugh, don’t make me laugh.’
In the press conference, Mourinho threatened another walk-out, saying: ‘I’m concerned with my reaction because one more question (about this) and I will leave.’
Mourinho was critical of Everton, who had Gareth Barry sent off, adding: ‘They made lots of fouls, what you would call intelligent fouls, but if the referee follows the rule it’s yellow card after yellow card and then inevitably you get a red card — which they eventually did.’
Everton manager Roberto Martinez was in no doubt that Ivanovic should have seen red over the alleged butt. To rub salt into Martinez’s wounds, Ivanovic played a crucial part in Willian’s late winner.
‘If you look at the images Ivanovic’s behaviour is wrong,’ said Martinez. ‘He grabs him around the neck in a forceful manner then puts his head against him when James McCarthy didn’t react, and if you want to be on top of the laws that’s a red card.’
Ivanovic first grabbed McCarthy around the throat, nearly throttling him, before he aimed a head-butt at the Everton midfielder.
Video footage showed Ivanovic, himself the victim of a Luis Suarez bite two years ago, appearing to bite McCarthy.
Sources close to McCarthy later said that he did feel teeth on his shoulder, though he did not believe it to be a bite.
Other Everton players said they saw Ivanovic press his head into McCarthy and appear to catch his teeth on his shoulder. Chelsea sources insisted that Ivanovic denied biting McCarthy.
But the defender could still face a retrospective three-match ban, which would rule him out of the Capital One Cup final, over the incident if referee Jon Moss claims he did not see the full extent of it.
FA disciplinary chiefs are almost certain to investigate the altercation on Thursday morning.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho stormed out of a BBC interview when asked about the Ivanovic incident and when questioned by BT Sport, he replied: ‘Don’t make me laugh, don’t make me laugh.’
In the press conference, Mourinho threatened another walk-out, saying: ‘I’m concerned with my reaction because one more question (about this) and I will leave.’
Mourinho was critical of Everton, who had Gareth Barry sent off, adding: ‘They made lots of fouls, what you would call intelligent fouls, but if the referee follows the rule it’s yellow card after yellow card and then inevitably you get a red card — which they eventually did.’
Everton manager Roberto Martinez was in no doubt that Ivanovic should have seen red over the alleged butt. To rub salt into Martinez’s wounds, Ivanovic played a crucial part in Willian’s late winner.
‘If you look at the images Ivanovic’s behaviour is wrong,’ said Martinez. ‘He grabs him around the neck in a forceful manner then puts his head against him when James McCarthy didn’t react, and if you want to be on top of the laws that’s a red card.’
