Cole Palmer lost his head in Chelsea's shock 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday and was sent off for the first time in his career.
The English attacker had been fortunate to remain on the pitch in the 71st minute after he appeared to throw a shoulder into Mateus Fernandes' face. The Portuguese midfielder fell to the floor but referee Chris Kavanagh thought a yellow card was punishment enough.
Palmer's frustrations didn't subside and in the 80th minute he gave Kavanagh no choice but to send him off. A late tackle on Conor Gallagher led to a second booking and meant the Blues ended the game with 10 men.
Cole Palmer won't miss Chelsea vs Man Utd
Chelsea fans had been confident prior today's game given their impressive record at home to Spurs over the years. They will have likely felt the same about hosting Manchester United next Saturday (October 31st).
Some supporters initially panicked believing that Palmer would miss that game. That isn't the case though as Xabi Alonso's men first make the trip to Anfield to face Liverpool in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
Alonso though will be annoyed that he'll be returning to Merseyside without one of his most important players. He's eager to start his Stamford Bridge career with silverware but his chances of winning that cup competition have taken an almighty setback.
Chelsea's defeat came courtesy of a Mike Penders own goal in the 77th minute and a wonderful solo-run and goal from Mathys Tel 10 minutes later. Palmer had been on the pitch at one-nil but having escaped red with his initial clash with Fernandes, he failed to curb his temper.
"No brainer" - Gary Neville agreed with Palmer sending off
Gary Neville commentated on the game for Sky Sports and felt Palmer should have already walked for the incident with Fernandes. He backed Kavanagh's decision to brandish the red card for the second.
The United legend said on Sky Sports:
"I think he's right, he's absolutely spot on. Cole Palmer's lost his head in these last 15 minutes. That one is a no-brainer."
Palmer had been enjoying a return to form this season after a frustrating past campaign. He made his 10th appearance today and had scored four goals and provided three assists before the Spurs loss.
