Just when Julen Lopetegui and West Ham probably thought things can’t get much worse it looks like they are about to.
The last thing Julen Lopetegui needed in West Ham’s 4-1 humbling at Spurs was his best player being sent off.
But that’s what happened when Mohammed Kudus was shown a red card for a moment of madness which saw three Tottenham players left on the floor.
Kudus kicked the ball against Mickey van de Ven while he was on the floor.
West Ham’s star boy then reacted to the Spurs defender calling him crazy and pushing him by shoving the towering Dutchman in the face.
Van de Ven hit the deck and Kudus was then pushed into Richarlison, leaving the Brazilian floored too.
Dean right as FA officially charge West Ham star Kudus
Pape Matar Sarr was next. As the Tottenham midfielder confronted Kudus he took a shove to the face as well.
The referee tried to use common sense by giving both Kudus and Van de Ven yellow cards.
It was only delaying the inevitable, though, as VAR intervened and a pitch-side review saw Kudus’ yellow cancelled and a red card produced instead.
That means the Ghanaian will now miss West Ham’s next three Premier League games against Man United, Forest and Everton before the November international break.
But in a shocking twist at the weekend, a top former referee claimed West Ham star Kudus faced being banned until the second week in December.
Hammers star boy Kudus now facing six-game FA ban
Now it seems Mike Dean will be proved right as the FA officially charge West Ham star Kudus over the incident AFTER his red card offence.
“When you see the footage back, the first one he could have got sent off for – which I’m hoping he has,” Dean said at the weekend.
“Then hopefully the second one, the FA will then take retrospective action so he’ll get done twice in my opinion.
“Because he’s hit two different players in the face on two occasions. He should do. I think he’ll get done twice.”
That would mean Kudus will miss West Ham’s games against Newcastle, Arsenal and Leicester too.
He would not be available again for the Hammers until Wolves at home on December 9th.
Now the Football Association have announced Kudus has been charged over the Sarr incident as well.
Charge relates to incident after Kudus’ sending off
The Hammers ace has until Thursday to respond.
With clear video evidence, it seems this process is also just delaying the inevitable with a further three-game ban for violent conduct looming large.
Spurs and West Ham have also been charged over their players’ conduct.
In an official Regulation and Discipline update, an FA spokesperson confirmed action against Kudus.
“Mohammed Kudus allegedly acted in an improper manner and/or used violent conduct after the offence that he was sent off for,” the statement reads.
“Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Mohammed Kudus have until Thursday, 24 October, to provide their responses.”
This is clearly terrible news for West Ham and – given the pressure he is under – Lopetegui too.
But there is one man at West Ham who will be buzzing right now and here’s why.
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