Crystal Palace have officially appealed against the red card shown to striker Jean-Philippe Mateta during their defeat by Tottenham on Saturday. The 29-year-old forward was sent off early in the fixture, and the club has now taken action in an effort to have the disciplinary sanction altered.
The incident occurred after just 13 minutes of play while the scoreline was still 0-0. Mateta committed a late challenge on Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven, catching him on top of the ankle. Referee Michael Oliver originally gave a yellow card for the foul, but the decision was upgraded to a straight red card following a VAR review, leaving 10-man Palace to battle on with a player disadvantage.
Palace are contesting the ruling based on the view that the impact was completely accidental. It is understood that the forward believes his eyes were firmly on the ball and that he did not see Van de Ven. The France international is facing a three-match suspension, but Palace hope the decision is either overturned altogether or his ban is reduced.
The appeal comes at a difficult juncture for Palace, who currently find themselves in the Premier League's bottom three on seven points. The defeat to Spurs has piled additional pressure on manager Pierre Sage after a disappointing start to his reign. Palace face Liverpool this weekend in a fixture that could have a direct bearing on Sage's long-term future at the club.