Essien was booked by referee Rob Styles for a tackle on Ben Haim during the match at Stamford Bridge on Saturday 15 October. Styles subsequently informed The FA that after reviewing the incident on video, he was of the opinion that had he seen the incident from a better angle, he would have shown a red card.

Following concerns expressed by FIFA following an incident involving Jermaine Jenas earlier this season, The FA sought clarification from FIFA whether any additional disciplinary action could be taken.

Given that the referee had seen the incident involving Essien and decided to show a yellow card, FIFA made it clear to The FA that in such cases the referee's decision is final and cannot be changed retrospectively.