Leicester City have been charged by the Football Association for their players’ conduct during the 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa. The FA allege City “failed to ensure its players did not behave in an improper way” during their appeals for a penalty in added time.
In the 93rd minute, Jamie Vardy looked to latch onto Harry Winks’ chipped free-kick, but Youri Tielemans stretched to clear, bringing Vardy down in the process. Tielemans made clear contact with the ball, but went through the back of Vardy at the same time.
City players surrounded referee David Coote to argue their case, but the official was unmoved. For his protests, Winks was booked. Now, they’ve been charged over their players’ conduct and have until Thursday, September 5 to give a response.
By added time, City frustrations had mounted. The decision to award a free-kick against Oli Skipp for a tackle on Ollie Watkins, and then led to Villa’s opening goal, caused ire, as did a second-half incident where Vardy put the ball in the net after the whistle had blown, with Coote calling play back because the ball had flicked off his heel during the build-up.
If City do not appeal and the charge is upheld, a fine is the likely punishment. The severity of the fine depends on the severity of the incident, but Manchester City were £120,000 back in December for admitting the same offence.
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