Chelsea have become the third club to receive 100 red cards in Premier League history after Cole Palmer was sent off during their 2-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge.

Palmer was dismissed for two bookable offences in a heated London derby, receiving the first red card of his senior career as Tottenham secured victory through a Mike Penders own goal and a second-half strike from Mathys Tel.

Chelsea’s latest disciplinary setback leaves them fifth in the Premier League, although their position followed the results of other teams on Sunday. Tottenham’s win moved them up to 12th.

Palmer dismissed in tense second half

Palmer was shown his first yellow card in the 70th minute after Tottenham midfielder Mateus Fernandes handled the ball while lying on the ground.

The Chelsea forward reacted by pushing his midriff into the face of the Portuguese midfielder, prompting referee Chris Kavanagh to caution him.

Ten minutes later, with Tottenham already ahead following Penders’ own goal, Palmer arrived late to a challenge and caught former Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher on the leg.

Kavanagh produced a second yellow card, ending Palmer’s involvement and giving him the first senior dismissal of his career.

The sending-off made Chelsea’s attempt to recover from their deficit even more difficult and added to scrutiny of their disciplinary record.

Excluding rescinded dismissals, Chelsea have now accumulated 100 Premier League red cards. Only Everton and Arsenal have more, with 113 and 110 dismissals respectively.

Chelsea’s discipline was also a concern during the 2025-26 campaign, when their players and staff were sent off 11 times. That was the highest total in the division, while Tottenham recorded the next-highest number with five dismissals.

Palmer expected to miss Liverpool tie

Palmer is expected to miss Chelsea’s midweek Carabao Cup trip to Liverpool as a result of his dismissal.

He could be available for the Premier League home match against Manchester United next weekend, provided his suspension is not extended. Any additional punishment would create further uncertainty over his involvement.

His absence is a setback for Chelsea as they look to respond to the defeat by their London rivals and maintain their position among the leading sides in the league.

Rogers avoids dismissal

Palmer was not the only Chelsea player involved in a contentious disciplinary incident.

Morgan Rogers appeared fortunate to escape a red card during stoppage time after throwing a leg into Gallagher during a late challenge inside Chelsea’s half.

Kavanagh showed Rogers a yellow card rather than dismissing him, adding to the frustration around an increasingly bad-tempered conclusion to the match.

Chelsea must now regroup before their Carabao Cup meeting with Liverpool and the subsequent league fixture against Manchester United, with Palmer’s first senior red card and the club’s 100th Premier League dismissal placing their discipline back in focus.