Chelsea have been fined £150,000 after an unidentified member of the club’s staff threw a bottle towards the Aston Villa bench at the end of a Premier League match in December.

The incident occurred following Villa’s dramatic 2–1 comeback victory at Stamford Bridge, where two late goals from Ollie Watkins sparked jubilant celebrations from the away side.

Chelsea accepted a Football Association misconduct charge for breaching FA Rule E20.1, having failed to ensure that players and other relevant personnel in the technical area did not behave in an improper, provocative, or abusive manner after the final whistle.

An independent FA regulatory commission imposed the fine following a hearing on January 19.

In its written reasons, the commission stated that the FA had been provided with footage of the bottle being thrown and described the act as “dangerous”, noting that it could have “provoked a reaction” from Aston Villa’s staff.

However, the commission also acknowledged that, despite investigations, neither the FA or Chelsea were able to identify the individual responsible for throwing the bottle.

The commission’s decision remains subject to appeal in accordance with the FA’s rules and regulations.

Casemiro is reportedly attracting interest from MLS side LA Galaxy after announcing he will leave Man United at the end of the season.

The announcement that Casemiro, 33, will leave Man United once his contract expires at the end of the season was made on Thursday (January 22).

According to the Daily Mail, Casemiro is already attracting interest from MLS giants LA Galaxy, although Saudi Arabia is another potential destination.

It’s understood that the club are looking to bring in a new first-team midfielder following the long-term injury of star man Riqui Puig.

Puig has not played since October 2024 and is unlikely to make his return until 2027 following a second serious knee injury.

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick believes Kobbie Mainoo has the quality and character to become a key player for the club after a frustrating spell during Ruben Amorim’s reign.

Mainoo started for the first time in the Premier League this season in the first game of Carrick’s interim spell as United dominated local rivals Manchester City in a 2-0 win.

The 20-year-old shot to prominence in the 2023/24 season under Erik ten Hag, scoring as United beat City in the FA Cup final and playing a starring role in England’s run to the Euro 2024 final.

However, he struggled for game time during Amorim’s ill-fated 14-month spell as the Portuguese coach defied calls to play Mainoo alongside club captain Bruno Fernandes.

“This club needs young players coming through and being the foundation for what it means, not just for the players or the squad, but for the club and for the supporters,” said Carrick at his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s trip to Premier League leaders Arsenal.

“I think that is something that we need to grasp, and we need to keep building on.

“Kobbie is a prime example. To come through so quickly and have the rapid rise, to play in some unbelievably big games and impact those big games at such a young age shows an awful lot of quality and in the terms of the character and to be able to handle it.

“Part of a career is a few ups and downs and sometimes it goes in different trajectories. But I think we’ve seen last week what Kobbie can bring.”

Victory over City lifted fifth-placed United to within one point of the Premier League’s top four.

The mood around Old Trafford was also transformed by the positive performance, and Carrick is hoping it can be the foundation towards a positive end to the season as United aim to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in three years.

“It was a big result, big performance and a big uplift with the feeling inside the stadium,” added Carrick.

“It’s getting that balance between taking the encouragement and the confidence from the game and keeping level-headed and our feet on the ground.

“One game doesn’t make you a great team, but it gives us a great foundation to build so there’s a lot of confidence.