Cole Palmer to serve red-card ban against Liverpool, not Manchester United

Cole Palmer will serve his one-match suspension in Chelsea's EFL Cup fourth-round tie at Liverpool rather than their next Premier League fixture against Manchester United, BBC Sport reported on Monday. The ban follows his dismissal for two yellow cards during Saturday's 2-0 home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur.

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The distinction comes from the way domestic suspensions are applied. BBC Sport explained that a red-card ban carries across domestic competitions, while suspensions triggered by an accumulation of yellow cards are competition-specific. With Chelsea travelling to Anfield on Wednesday before hosting United on Saturday, the cup match is the fixture Palmer will miss.

Chelsea's official match report records Palmer's first booking in the 71st minute and his sending-off in the 80th. The initial caution followed an incident involving Tottenham midfielder Mateus Fernandes during a Chelsea counter-attack. Palmer then fouled Conor Gallagher in midfield, prompting referee Chris Kavanagh to show a second yellow and dismiss the England international.

The red card came during the decisive closing period at Stamford Bridge. Tottenham had gone ahead three minutes earlier when a corner struck goalkeeper Mike Penders' hand and went into the Chelsea net, with Jan Paul van Hecke applying pressure. Mathys Tel added the visitors' second goal in the 87th minute after carrying the ball forward and finishing.

Chelsea's account described chances for both sides before the breakthrough. Palmer and Jordan Henderson tested Antonin Kinsky in the first half, while Penders denied Omar Marmoush and Tel. Pedro Neto also forced saves from the Tottenham goalkeeper. Neither team scored before the interval, and the match remained level until Penders' own goal with 13 minutes of normal time left.

Opta reported that Palmer's dismissal was Chelsea's 100th Premier League red card, excluding those subsequently rescinded, making them the third club to reach that total after Everton and Arsenal. The immediate consequence for Palmer is limited to one match: he will be unavailable for the Liverpool cup tie but eligible to return against United, according to BBC Sport.