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The Premier League have released a statement explaining why Chelsea star Moises Caicedo avoided a red card after his late challenge against Tottenham on Sunday.

The Ecuadorian lunged into a 50-50 duel with Pape Matar Sarr and arrived late, appearing to catch the Spurs midfielder high on his shin with his studs.

VAR briefly reviewed the incident and, according to Sky Sports commentator Peter Drury, the challenge was not deemed to have 'excessive force'.

The Premier League's match centre account on X released a statement to confirm why the 23-year-old was not dismissed.

It read: "VAR checked for a potential red card following a challenge by Caicedo on Sarr and confirmed the referee’s call of no serious foul play."

As a result, the brief check passed without any further punishment for Caicedo - leaving Carragher confused and in apparent disbelief.

Upon seeing the replay, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher was adamant that the £115million star should receive his marching orders, despite referee Anthony Taylor waving play on.

"What? Am I missing something there?" the Liverpool icon said, before Drury explained that VAR adjudged the challenge "lacked excessive force."

Carragher then replied: "I mean that is unbelievable. I don't like seeing people sent off, but I was certain that was going to be a red card. They've got away with a huge one there Chelsea."

There was more controversy to come as Dejan Kulusevski caught Romeo Lavia with a stray arm when challenging the Belgian, leaving the 20-year-old in a heap on the ground. But after a brief VAR check, play was allowed to continue.

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Those two flashpoints only told part of the story of a breathless 45 minutes in north London as the capital derby delivered another feisty contest.

Two slips from Marc Cucurella inside the first 10 minutes proved costly as Dominic Solanke scored against his former club, before Kulusevski doubled the damage.

Enzo Maresca's side fought back through Jadon Sancho as the winger embarked on a solo run and finished from 20 yards. Cole Palmer had two golden chances to equalise but fluffed his lines in front of goal as Spurs led 2-1 at the break.

Marc Cucurella suffered a nightmare start to Chelsea's Premier League trip to Tottenham on Sunday, slipping twice in the build-up to both of the hosts' early opening goals. Spurs led 2-0 after just 11 minutes, with the Spanish left-back lurching on the rain-soaked pitch to lose possession moments before both strikes.

In the fifth minute, Cucurella received the ball from Levi Colwill under no pressure just inside Chelsea's half before Brennan Johnson took advantage of his blunder.

The Welsh winger burst forward to the chorus of encouragement from the crowd and squared the ball for Dominic Solanke, who fired an unstoppable first-time finish past Robert Sanchez.

Six minutes later, Johnson again won the ball with Cucurella on the deck before Dejan Kulusevski picked it up via Pedro Porro.

The Sweden travelled to a central position from the right before firing a low effort past Sanchez's near post from the edge of the box, doubling Spurs' advantage.

As soon as Kulusevski's strike nestled into the hosts' net, cameras spotted Cucurella sprinting towards the dugout, throwing his arms out.

The Spaniard was in search of new boots, but Jamie Carragher, on co-commentary duty for Sky Sports, ripped him apart for the mishap.

He said: "Cucurella's going to the bench. Don't blame anyone else; it's your own fault, son! Who's he blaming, the kit man?! Absolute schoolboy stuff. Embarrassing!"

Commentator Peter Drury added: "Well, Marc Cucurella's footwear is central to the early Spurs vs Chelsea narrative. He has slithered, and he has slithered again."

Carragher then went in for seconds during a slo-mo replay of Cucurella complaining to Chelsea's bench while changing his boots.

"And look, he's slipped again. There he goes again. Look at him, shrugging his shoulders. He's blaming them, 'It's not my fault; it's the boots you've given me,'" Carragher continued.

Drury couldn't help but follow that up with a bit of colour as play resumed, giving a nod to a special time of year for theatre fans.

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He joked: "Well, it's pantomime season, and like Cinderella, Cucurella needs a slipper that fits!"

Cucurella redeemed himself another six minutes after Spurs' second by providing the assist for Jadon Sancho's superb solo strike.

It was a moment of magic from the Manchester United loanee, receiving the ball on the touchline before driving inwards and curling a low shot past Fraser Forster.

The early drama in north London lived up to the chaotic standards that meetings between these two clubs tend to provide.

Enzo Maresca has categorically denied that Chelsea hold the upper hand against Tottenham, despite sitting a comfortable eight points clear of their rivals. As the Blues continue to impress fans with efficient goal-scoring performances, speculation mounts that they could emerge as surprise contenders in the Premier League title race.

In contrast, Spurs boast only a single win, albeit a remarkable 4-0 crushing of Manchester City, across their last six games. Nevertheless, Maresca dismisses any notion of his side being the favourite, asserting: "We are not favourites, I'm sorry.

"They are playing in European competition like us, we are there but it's not because now we are second in the table that we are favourites - absolutely not."

Earlier in the week, Noni Madueke praised Maresca for his straightforward managerial approach, shortly after the Italian coach called the young winger out for complacency following an impactful display against Southampton, where he both scored and assisted.

Previously, Maresca sidelined him against Aston Villa, criticising a lacklustre approach in training. The stern coach also didn't shy away from underlining his strict ethos, warning his squad that standards must remain high at all times.

He explained: "The only thing that I don't allow, not one of them in the squad, no matter who it is, is to drop in terms of intensity and in terms of working hard.

"Because the only way to reach something is if you work very hard, day by day.

"I've said this squad is full, full, full of talent."

Maresca is adamant about the need for more than just talent to win games, as he emphasised the importance of understanding and awareness among his players. "If you put 25 players in this room and you closed your eyes and picked one, you're going to pick one full of talent but that's not enough," he said.

"If you don't put together more things, you are not going to win games and to have a good moment.

"This is what they have to understand. Fortunately, at the moment, they are all aware of that.

Addressing concerns over player confidence, Maresca insists his approach is always with the best intentions: "No, I think when you have a good intention, you don't have to be careful."

"You have to be careful when you have bad intentions.

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"My intention with Reece [James] or my intention with Noni or my intention with the next one that I don't know who it will be, it's not because there is any bad intention.

"It's just because I really care about them and because I really want the best for them, no more than that."

Despite not having faced Ange Postecoglou in a managerial capacity, aside from a memorable one-hour conversation in Thailand, Maresca is focused on Chelsea's performance.

Meanwhile, Postecoglou is set to tackle Tottenham's poor record in London derbies, with Spurs having won only four out of their last 13 league matches against other London teams, suffering seven defeats.

Gary Lineker briefly delayed the start of Match of the Day's Premier League highlights to send a classy message to Michail Antonio.

The West Ham striker was involved in a serious car crash on Saturday afternoon and is being cared for in a central London hospital.

"Before we get to our first game we would like to send our best wishes to West Ham's Michail Antonio, who is in a stable condition following a road traffic accident this afternoon," Lineker said at the top of the BBC programme.

"The statement said 'Michail is conscious and communicating and is under close supervision at a central London hospital'.

"Here is hoping for a full and speedy recovery."

Antonio was trapped inside his Ferrari for 45 minutes after it collided with a tree in Essex.

Fire crews had to cut the 34-year-old free before he was transported to hospital.

West Ham confirmed their record Premier League goalscorer was conscious and communicating in an update on Saturday evening.

"West Ham United can confirm that Michail Antonio is in a stable condition following a road traffic accident this afternoon in the Essex area," a club statement said.

"Michail is conscious and communicating and is currently under close supervision at a central London hospital.

"At this difficult time, we kindly ask everyone to respect the privacy of Michail and his family. The club will make no further comment this evening, but will issue a further update in due course."

Chelsea are currently riding the crest of a wave with Wednesday’s big win over Southampton cutting the gap to leaders Liverpool to seven points. The 5-1 result for Enzo Mzeresca’s men made it nine points from nine in the Premier League, and suddenly has the Italian fending off questions regarding a potential title challenge.

Sunday represents a stern test in their bid to maintain momentum though, with a trip to face London rivals Tottenham.

Maresca tinkered with his starting line-up at St Mary’s, making seven changes to the team that beat Aston Villa on Sunday, and is expected to reinstall a number of regular starters tomorrow.

Chelsea predicted XI vs Tottenham

Goalkeeper - Sanchez

Filip Jorgensen being given the nod at Southampton on Wednesday prompted intrigue as to whether the under-fire Robert Sanchez had lost his starting berth long-term. However, Maresca has since confirmed the Spaniard will be in the XI at Tottenham.

Defence - Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella

Marc Cucurella was the only defender to keep his place from the win over Aston Villa, and having been one of the club’s most formidable performers this season, is certain to be on the left again on Sunday.

However, Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill should come back to the heart of the back four, in place of £38million man Axel Disasi and Tosin Adarabioyo. Amid Reece James’ latest injury blow, Malo Gusto should continue at right-back.

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Midfield - Caicedo, Lavia

Maresca has rarely delved away from his 4-2-3-1 formation this season, and has spoken glowingly of late of the blossoming partnership between holding midfielders Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia. Enzo Fernandez replaced Lavia on Wednesday and impressed in the Southampton rout, but the World Cup winner is unlikely to keep his place.

The Italian manager will be all too aware of Tottenham’s threat going forward, and won’t want gaps in midfield. Caicedo and Lavia will be deployed to blunt the likes of James Maddison.

Forwards - Madueke, Palmer, Sancho

With the exception of certain starter Cole Palmer, Maresca has decisions to make in this department. Jadon Sancho is finally justifying his loan move from Manchester United, starting against Villa before a scoring appearance from the bench in midweek, and should be back in the XI tomorrow.

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Whether the pair are joined by Noni Madueke or Pedro Neto remains to be seen, with both stating their case in recent games. Given his form throughout the season, Madueke should get the nod.

Striker - Jackson

Christopher Nkunku was given a rare chance to start a Premier League game this week, and as he’s done regularly in the Europa Conference League, he scored. But don’t expect his goal to prompt a big change tomorrow - Nicolas Jackson is much improved with eight league goals this season and clearly, is Maresca’s main No.9.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has come to the defence of under-fire captain Son Heung-min amid criticism over his performances, insisting that the South Korean star is sure to bounce back and silence the critics. Postecoglou drew comparisons to Mohamed Salah, reminding critics of the doubters the Liverpool ace faced in early 2022/23 before roaring back into form.

The Spurs boss declared: "I think there were questions about Mo maybe a year or so ago. I would be wary about doing that, but it might help me if you write him off. Go for it!

"I don't see that in Sonny, I still think he's got a hell of a lot of quality and from a physical standpoint, the way he looks after himself, I don't see his abilities diminishing just due to the age factor at the moment. I don’t see that.

"He's had a bit of a disrupted start this year where he's had a couple of setbacks where he hasn't played regularly.

"I think with Sonny the more regularly he plays, the increase comes in that output. So the answer is no, I don’t think so, and I'd be wary about writing him off."

Spurs face an anxious wait over Dominic Solanke, who is battling fitness concerns. But optimism remains that he will return against his ex-club Bournemouth in their quest to climb the congested league table.

Postecoglou acknowledged Solanke's less than perfect fitness since missing Sunday’s draw with Fulham, revealing: "I’m hoping that extra percentage comes from just him getting back. He wanted to play on the weekend too but he couldn’t get out of his car let alone run around the pitch.

"Hopefully he will get through training, we’ve got another 24 hours to game time and I know how closely connected he feels with Bournemouth because it was his way back to having the career he wanted.

"Through Bournemouth, he got a move here, got back in the England squad and all these kinds of things. His journey of starting at some big clubs, not quite working out, Bournemouth were the ones who invested in him, worked with him.

"He spent a lot of time there, I’m sure he wants to do well not because he wants to hurt them but because he wants to show them that everything they invested in him is appreciated.

"It’s unusual for the Premier League where you really only have one team which is separated from the rest. I think it makes it exciting because it means every game has something on it. I think for the next couple of months I think it will be pretty tight."

Andoni Iraola's unpredictable Bournemouth team will be aiming to add Tottenham Hotspur to their list of 'Big Six' conquests when they meet this evening. The south coast club have already notched up impressive victories over Arsenal and Manchester City at the Vitality Stadium this season.

While Bournemouth's away form has been inconsistent, they have demonstrated their capability to defeat anyone at home when they're in top form. Ange Postecoglou's squad have had a similar start to the campaign, losing to the likes of Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace, while simultaneously thrashing Manchester City, Manchester United and Aston Villa.

Tonight's clash will not be shown on Sky Sports or TNT Sports, as fans may be accustomed to. Instead, the game will be on a different broadcaster, with fans able to watch Bournemouth vs Tottenham for free.

What channel is AFC Bournemouth vs Tottenham Hotspur on?

Amazon Prime secured the rights to broadcast two rounds of midweek fixtures, all Boxing Day matches and two games on December 27. This year marks the final season that Amazon will broadcast Premier League matches, as they missed out on the new TV deal that will start from next season until the 2028-29 campaign.

As part of Amazon's agreement for this season, they will broadcast Bournemouth vs Tottenham, along with Fulham vs Brighton & Hove Albion, on Amazon Prime this evening.

Amazon Prime is offering a 30-day free trial for those who haven't subscribed yet, allowing them to watch the Premier League matches on Boxing Day and December 27 without spending a penny. Existing subscribers won't need to pay extra to tune in.

Each match can be streamed for free with an Amazon Prime subscription or by signing up for the Amazon Prime 30-day free trial.

What time does the match kick-off?

The game will kick off at 8.15pm on the south coast. Gabby Logan will present the broadcast, with Jermain Defoe, Les Ferdinand and Eni Aluko providing expert analysis.

Defoe has played for both Tottenham and Bournemouth during his career, while Ferdinand was a Tottenham player from 1997 to 2003. Jon Champion and Alan Shearer will be commentating from the gantry, just as they did for Arsenal's 2-0 victory over Manchester United last night.

Tottenham will climb from eighth to fifth in the table with a victory. Meanwhile, Bournemouth, who are currently 13th, could overtake Spurs and move into eighth position if they are able to beat the north Londoners.

Manchester United have discussed Tottenham winger Heung-min Son as a potential bargain transfer option next summer, according to reports. The Spurs captain is out of contract at the end of the season and is said to have been identified as a potential option amid financial limitations at Old Trafford.

Son has scored 166 goals and registered 88 assists in 422 appearances since his £22million move to Tottenham from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015.

But he has reportedly been left disappointed by the club's plan to trigger a one-year extension in his current contract rather than offering fresh terms.

Now 32, Son likely has one big contract left as an elite footballer, and he is seemingly open to committing his future to the Lilywhites.

However, it's claimed that the South Korean talisman has entered the sights of United during preparations for Ruben Amorim's first summer transfer window.

According to GIVEMESPORT, Son has been discussed as a viable transfer target within the walls of Old Trafford at the dawn of Amorim's rebuild.

United are under mounting pressure from the Premier League and UEFA's financial rules and will likely rely on player sales to boost their budget in a second successive summer.

But Ineos will also be monitoring potential opportunities for cut-price deals, and Son becoming a free agent would be difficult to ignore.

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Tottenham are reportedly running the risk of losing Cristian Romero at the end of the season if current results do not improve.

Spurs are just three points off the top four in seventh place, but have lost five Premier League games already this campaign and claimed just one win in their last five matches - beating Manchester City 4-0 away from home.

Romero has missed the last three with a toe injury and will sit out Thursday’s trip to Bournemouth, ensuring Ben Davies and Radu Dragusin will deputise once again.

And Ange Postecoglou may need to start preparing for a life without Romero if they do not qualify for next season’s Champions League.

TalkSPORT claim that Romero has aspirations of competing in Europe’s premier competition, an early ultimatum that could see him depart north London.

The Argentine has a contract until 2027 and Spurs are keen to tie him down to a new long-term deal, but negotiations are unlikely to progress until the club’s fate is secured.

With just two years left on his contract in the summer, if Spurs cannot convince Romero to sign a new deal, then his value will only depreciate, prompting questions about whether it makes financial sense to move the 26-year-old on.

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Real Madrid have previously been credited with interest in Romero, who undoubtedly would not be short of options if the centre-back becomes available at the end of the season.

The Mirror previously claimed that Spurs have no interest in selling their vice-captain and there is no release clause in his contract.

Similarly, they do not wish to let go of Pedro Porro as Real Madrid continue to lurk in their search for a replacement for the injured Dani Carvajal.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is considered the primary target for Los Blancos, and is out of contract at the end of the season, but Porro has repeatedly been linked with a move back to his homeland.

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The right-back said in October: “It fills you with excitement, doesn't it? You have to be focused on your work, but hey, the fact that Real Madrid is interested in you is because you are doing things well. This is how I think on a day-to-day basis. Well, if that time has to come, it will come. And if it doesn't arrive, well, [I'll] continue working as before.”

In all likelihood, Porro will start on Thursday against Bournemouth up against recent hat-trick hero Justin Kluivert, but Postecoglou claims Romero is still sidelined.

"Romero's due to have his last couple of sessions with the rehab guys today and tomorrow,” the Aussie explained. “So we're kind of hoping he'll be back in team training by Friday or the very latest early next week if everything goes well."

Tottenham will decide on striker Dominic Solanke's involvement just before their upcoming clash with his former team Bournemouth on Thursday evening.

Solanke was absent from Spurs' 1-1 draw against Fulham due to illness last Sunday but is on the verge of resuming training and could feature against his old club.

Meanwhile, Archie Gray is set to be fit after recovering from a dead leg suffered at the weekend, while Ange Postecoglou still grapples with the loss of several players.

Guglielmo Vicario is out with an ankle injury, Micky van de Ven has hamstring troubles, Cristian Romero struggles with a toe issue, Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended, Wilson Odobert and Richarlison both have hamstring injuries, and Mikey Moore is down with a virus.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Postecoglou revealed: "Archie obviously got a knock but he’s recovered well. Dom’s due to train today. He’s still not 100 per cent but he’s definitely improved from the weekend, so we’ll see how he goes through training today. The other injured guys are inching closer but not available.

"Obviously they (Bournemouth) have beaten (Manchester) City and Arsenal at their place, so a good challenge. We had a tough game up there last year, we did well and we had a tough game against them here.

"One of those sides where there’s a real consistency in performance and approach. You know that you’re in for a battle, so I’m looking forward to it."

With a lengthy absentee list, particularly in the attacking department, Postecoglou's selection options are notably limited.

Richarlison's ongoing injury woes have limited him to just seven appearances this season, with another setback occurring last month. With the Brazilian not expected back until January at the very earliest, Postecoglou has acknowledged the need for reinforcements in attack.

The Australian coach added: "With Richy, it has been frustrating because I see the potential in him and to be fair when he’s been fit, he’s always made an impact, for me anyway."

"I think back to the start of last year and when he came back into the team during the year he went on a scoring run. Even the little games he’s played this year, he’s made an impact.

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"So, you know, that’s what you hold on to, but there’s no doubt we need some bolstering in that front third over the next couple of transfer windows. It’s something we’re aware of and need to plan for."

In light of these absences, opportunities arose for young Moore to shine, yet he too has been absent due to an energy-sapping virus.

Postecoglou wanted to keep details sparse, but assured all that Moore’s issue wasn't major, saying: "I come out here and I want to be as transparent as I can, but this is a 17-year-old boy.

"It’s nothing serious. It’s nothing long-term. It’s just that he’s a young lad and he’s only 17. He’s a big part of this football club and we will protect him.

"We’ll be guided by how he feels, how he recovers from an illness. Like I said, young people will recover at different rates.

"He’ll be back in the next few weeks, but again he’s missed a lot of football. So, whether we bring him back for the first team or he needs to play (under-21s), we’ve got to bear in mind that he’s 17."