Chelsea winger Pedro Neto has been officially charged by the Football Association for his conduct following his dismissal against Arsenal.
Neto was sent off during a frantic second half as the Blues lost to their London rivals. The Portuguese international was shown two yellow card in the space of ten minutes.
For the first booking, he was cautioned for dissent while aggressively protesting Arsenal’s second goal. And just three minutes later, a cynical foul on Gabriel Martinelli ended his afternoon prematurely.
Pedro Neto reacts towards Referee Darren England after showing him a red card during the Premier League match against Arsenal. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
The Football Association has moved to punish the winger further, citing both his delay in leaving the field and his choice of language toward match officials. The FA confirmed the news via social media, stating: “Pedro Neto has been charged after being sent off in the 70th minute of the Premier League fixture between Chelsea FC and Arsenal FC on Sunday 1 March. It’s alleged that the player acted in an improper manner by failing to leave the pitch promptly; and/or used abusive words towards the match official/s. Pedro Neto has until Monday 9 March to provide a response.”
Neto has officially served his suspension and is eligible to return for the upcoming cup tie, with this selection boost coming at a pivotal moment as Chelsea pause their Premier League campaign to focus on cup competitions.
They first host Wrexham in the FA Cup fifth round, before traveling to Paris for a blockbuster Champions League round-of-16 first leg against PSG.
