Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has claimed Chelsea duo of Diego Costa and N’Golo Kante intentionally got themselves sent off against Crystal Palace last weekend.
Costa and Kante were both booked in the Blues’ game against Palace at Selhurst Park, which was their fifth booking of the current season and will be missing their game against Bournemouth on Boxing Day.
However, Carragher believes the pair may have deliberately got themselves booked so as to face Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on January 4.
He told Sky Sports’ Soccer AM : ‘I think Chelsea will be fine without Costa and Kante and I wouldn’t be surprised if the deliberately got booked to miss that game,
‘I know it’s controversial but it’s been done before.’
It is expected that the Blues will secure maximum three points against Bournemouth as they extend their winning streak to 12 games; Michy Batshuayi and Cesc Fabregas will most likely replace the suspended pair.
Antonio Conte’s men has continued to ease past opponents but their recent narrow wins in the Premier League have raised eyebrows that their streak might run to an end soon but are not far from catching-up with Arsenal’s winning record of 14 games during their 49- unbeaten run in 2004.
