A former Premier League referee has pointed out that Kudus could now be facing a potential six-game ban
West Ham’s Ghanaian forward Mohammed Kudus faces the possibility of an extended ban following his red card during West Ham’s 4-1 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur.
The 23-year-old was dismissed in the 86th minute after lashing out at Tottenham players Micky van de Ven and Pape Matar Sarr, and pundits are now calling for further sanctions, meaning Kudus could miss up to six games if the FA decides to extend his ban.
Kudus sent off for violent conduct
Kudus’ outburst began with a scuffle on the ground with Spurs defender Micky van de Ven, where he aimed two kicks at the Dutchman.
After Van de Ven stood up to confront him, Kudus shoved him in the face and, moments later, also pushed Pape Matar Sarr during the heated exchange.
While referee Andrew Madley initially gave Kudus a yellow card, the decision was upgraded to a straight red upon a VAR review.
Former Premier League referee Mike Dean weighed in on the incident, stating that Kudus could face a stricter punishment beyond the standard three-game ban for violent conduct.
Kudus faces calls for longer ban
Speaking about the incident that saw Kudus receive his marching orders, Dean said, “When you see the footage back, the first one he could have got sent off for, which hopefully he has.
“Hopefully the second one the FA will then take retrospective action so he'll get done twice in my opinion because he's hit two different players in the face on two occasions.”
Kudus’ absence will be a huge blow for West Ham, especially as the Hammers are set to face key fixtures against Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, and Everton.
With the club’s recent struggles in the Premier League, missing their star forward for an extended period could hurt their chances of turning their season around.