Chelsea hit with £150,000 fine from FA after Aston Villa claimed bottle was thrown at their bench during December clash

Shortly after Chelsea's 2-1 loss to Villa in the Premier League on 27 December, 2025, a bottle was allegedly thrown towards Unai Emery's bench. Some of Villa's coaching staff were furious after being doused with water. 

That led the FA to state: "Chelsea FC has been charged with a breach of FA Rule E20.1 following the Premier League fixture against Aston Villa FC on Saturday 27 December 2025. It's alleged that the club failed to ensure its players and/or other relevant personnel positioned around the technical area after the final whistle did not behave in an improper and/or provocative and/or abusive way. Chelsea FC has until Monday 12 January 2026 to provide a response."

Now, Chelsea have found out the result of this investigation.

This week, Chelsea, who were at the time managed by Enzo Maresca, have been sanctioned for an FA rule breach and fined £150,000.

On Friday, the FA said in a fresh statement: "Chelsea FC has been sanctioned for a breach of FA Rule E20.1 that occurred at its Premier League fixture against Aston Villa FC on Saturday 27 December 2025. It was alleged that the club failed to ensure its players and/or other relevant personnel around the technical area did not behave in an improper and/or provocative and/or abusive way after the final whistle. Chelsea FC subsequently admitted the charge. An independent Regulatory Commission has now imposed a £150,000 fine on the club following a hearing and its written reasons for this can be read below."

Their report states that video footage shows the bottle coming from Chelsea's bench, before narrowly missing an unnamed Villa substitute. They add that the act was "dangerous" and could have "easily" provoked a reaction from the opposition staff.

The FA added: "The Commission considered the throwing of the bottle at or into the AVFC technical area as a very serious incident. The video footage shows the bottle coming out of the CFC dugout and travelling at speed (indicating its weight) into the AVFC technical area. The bottle passes very close to the head of an AVFC substitute and lands in the AVFC technical area. The act was dangerous and could have easily provoked a reaction from the AVFC staff – it was only luck that it did not strike someone. The Commission noted that had a spectator thrown a bottle at or into a technical area it would be considered as being a serious act of violence, not to be tolerated at a football match. It is a very poor example when a person involved at the highest level of professional football in England acts in such a disrespectful, irresponsible and dangerous way against his professional counterparts."

Liam Rosenior's Chelsea, who sit sixth in the Premier League, travel to struggling London neighbours Crystal Palace in league action on Sunday, while third-placed Villa visit Newcastle United on the same day.