Alli accepts FA charge, faces three-game ban

Dele Alli has accepted a Football Association (FA) charge of violent conduct and could miss Tottenham Hotspur’s remaining three games of the season, a source close to the FA has told ESPN FC.

Alli, 20, had until 6 p.m. BST on Wednesday to answer the FA charge after he appeared to punch West Bromwich Albion’s Claudio Yacob in Monday’s 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane which left Spurs seven points behind league Premier Leaders Leicester City.

A source close to the FA told ESPN FC that the deadline passed without the player contesting the charge.

The midfielder, who was named PFA Young Player of the Year last week, could be hit with a three-match ban if he is found guilty, which would rule him out of Spurs’ title run-in against Chelsea, Southampton and Newcastle.

Monday’s referee Mike Jones missed the incident, while Yacob told reporters immediately after the match that he did not remember being punched.

Alli’s options were to accept the charge or claim that a three-match ban was “clearly excessive” in an attempt to reduce his suspension to one or two games.

Dele Alli has been booked 11 times in his first season as a Tottenham player.

The England international has enjoyed a remarkable season debut season in the Premier League but in February Spurs head coach Mauricio Pochettino said that he had “a natural chat” with Alli about his behaviour after the midfielder was lucky to escape with a booking for appearing to kick Fiorentina’s Nenad Tomovic, while Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew accused Alli of stamping on Yohan Cabaye in January.

After the draw with the Baggies, Pochettino claimed opponents are attempting to wind up Alli, saying: “Sometimes the opponent find him and try to provoke, they know he has a strong character and may react.”

Report by ESPN/Soccernet.com