Controversial Chelsea '12 men' tweet sees Newcastle midfielder Hayden hit with FA charge
Newcastle midfielder Isaac Hayden has been charged by the FA after comments he made on social media suggesting that Chelsea had the referee on their side in their 1-0 win over the Magpies at Stamford Bridge.
in a fiercely competitive contest in west London on March 13, bringing a nine-match unbeaten run for Newcastle to an end.
Hayden was unavailable for the game as he continues his recovery from knee surgery – while he also wasn’t selected in Newcastle’s 25-man Premier League squad for the latter part of the season – but vented his frustration over the performance of referee David Coote online after the final whistle.
What’s been said?
Hayden wrote on Twitter: “Some performance from the boys against 12 men.”
An FA spokesman has released an official statement confirming that Hayden will now face punishment for his remarks, which reads: “Newcastle United’s Isaac Hayden has been charged with a breach of FA Rule E3.1 following their Premier League game against Chelsea on Sunday 13 March 2022.
“It is alleged that the midfielder’s comments on social media after the game constitute improper integrity of the match official and/or are personally offensive and/or bring the game into disrepute.
“Isaac Hayden has until Wednesday 23 March 2022 to provide a response.”
What happened during the game?
Hayden’s anger stemmed from a number of controversial decisions taken by Coote during the contest, most notably after an incident involving match-winner Havertz in the first half.
The German playmaker escaped a red card for , while Newcastle later had a strong penalty appeal turned down.
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Jacob Murphy was clumsily taken down by Trevoh Chalobah just before the hour mark but Coote waved the Magpies’ penalty appeals away, leaving the away bench and supporters incensed.
Newcastle will be back in Premier League action after the international break, with a trip to Tottenham on the cards on April 3.
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