Sterling escapes FA charges over crowd incident in Chelsea win against Tottenham

Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling will face no further action from the Football Association (FA) following an investigation into an incident during Monday’s 4-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, the Evening Standard reports.

The FA have been investigating Sterling for a potential misconduct charge after footage from the match showed him appearing to throw a missile back into the crowd.

The incident occurred after Cole Palmer equalised for Chelsea from the penalty spot following Cristian Romero’s red card for a foul on Enzo Fernandez.

In a video from the pitchside, an object thrown from the home section struck Palmer on the leg, and Sterling reacted by launching the missile back into the crowd as the players prepared to resume the game.

While officials did not spot the incident during the match, the FA reviewed the footage and decided not to bring charges against the England international.

If found guilty, Sterling could have faced a ban, as previous incidents involving players responding to thrown objects from the crowd have led to suspensions.

Richarlison received a one-match ban for throwing a lit flare back into the crowd after scoring for Everton in a match against Chelsea in May last year, with his one-match suspension delaying his Tottenham debut.

Mauricio Pochettino will be delighted to retain Sterling’s services, with the Englishman proving to be one of Chelsea’s bright sparks despite enduring an inconsistent campaign.

The 28-year-old has notched four goals and two assists in 13 appearances across all competitions for the Blues this term. He has also created two big chances.

His performances have not been enough to convince England manager Gareth Southgate to reinstate the former Liverpool man in his national team squad.

Southgate announced his 25-man squad for the remainder of England’s European Championship qualifier fixtures against Malta and North Macedonia, and Sterling was one of the notable absentees.

The Chelsea forward Sterling has missed the last five international camps since accompanying the squad for the 2022 World Cup tournament in Qatar.