Cesc Fabregas Reportedly Accused of Igniting Chelsea vs. Tottenham Brawl

Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas was reportedly the instigator of the post-match brawl that followed the Blues' 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Monday at Stamford Bridge, according to witnesses. 

The hotly-contested London derby threatened to boil over into chaos throughout as Spurs failed to get the win they needed to prevent Leicester City from being crowned Premier League champions.

After the final whistle the two sides clashed near the tunnel—with both managers involved—and Fabregas reportedly triggered the melee "by appearing to flick at the shorts of [Tottenham's] players and backroom staff with his hand as he left the pitch," per Matt Hughes in the Times.

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Hughes added that Fabregas had his hand stamped on by Erik Lamela during the game, one of many unsavoury incidents likely to see both clubs charged by the FA "for failing to control their players."

Per Sky Sports' Peter Gilbert, both Blues boss Guus Hiddink and Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino were caught up in the post-game brawl, with the Dutchman taking a tumble as tempers frayed.

During the match itself, Spurs' Argentinian boss walked onto the pitch to separate Danny Rose and Willian, sparking a touchline clash in which Mousa Dembele appeared to gouge Blues striker Diego Costa in the eye, per ESPN FC's Ben Dinnery:

Per Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, Dembele should have been sent off for his clash with Costa, and he is likely to pick up a lengthy ban that could rule him out for the rest of the season:

It was something of a surprise that no player was dismissed given the bad-tempered nature of the clash in which Harry Kane and Son Heung-min's first-half goals were cancelled out by Gary Cahill and Eden Hazard after the break.

Nine Spurs players received yellow cards at Stamford Bridge, while three were issued to Chelsea players.

There are likely to be repercussions for both clubs when the dust settles, although Fabregas should escape punishment as his reaction after the match was described by witnesses as "petulant rather than violent," per Hughes.