rewrite this title West Ham’s Kudus sees ban extended to five games

West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus has had his suspension extended to five matches and received a £60,000 fine due to violent conduct in last month’s Premier League game against Tottenham.

Kudus was already facing a three-match suspension following his red card against Spurs, which had ruled him out of West Ham’s 2-1 victory over Manchester United, their 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest, and this weekend’s upcoming clash with Everton.

However, an independent Regulatory Commission deemed the offence severe enough to add an additional two games to his ban, which will now also include league fixtures against Newcastle United on November 25 and Arsenal on November 30.

The incident, which took place in the 82nd minute of West Ham’s 4-1 loss to Tottenham on October 19, began when Kudus fouled Spurs’ Micky van de Ven.

The conflict escalated when Kudus pushed Van de Ven in the face, and shortly after, did the same to Pape Matar Sarr.

Initially shown a yellow card, Kudus’s conduct was reviewed by VAR, leading referee Andy Madley to upgrade the card to a red for violent conduct, triggering an automatic three-match suspension.

West Ham United has today been notified by the Football Association of charges relating to our Premier League fixture against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday 19 October 2024.

— West Ham United (@WestHam) November 6, 2024

In the independent panel’s report, it was noted that the 24-year-old Ghanaian international expressed remorse and told the panel he was “deeply embarrassed” by his actions.

West Ham faced consequences as well, receiving a £30,000 fine for failing to manage their players’ conduct effectively during the heated altercation.

The club accepted the FA’s charge of failing to prevent provocative or violent behaviour. Tottenham, had been fined £20,000 in October.

In response, West Ham issued a statement, saying, “Whilst the Club is disappointed with the outcome, it respects the process that has been undertaken.”