West Ham United have won their appeal against Cheikhou Kouyate’s red card last weekend.
The Hammers midfielder was shown a straight red by referee Mark Clattenberg after his tackle with Dwight Gayle in the second half of last Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Upton Park.
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West Ham appealed the dismissal and the Senegalese midfielder, 26, will no longer face a three-game ban.
Speaking after the game Hammers boss Slaven Bilic chose his words carefully but was upset was the sending off at a pivotal moment in the match when West Ham led 2-1.
Palace boss Alan Pardew also thought it wasn’t a red card and now the English FA have followed suit.
In a statement on their website on Tuesday, the FA revealed that West Ham’s claim of wrongful dismissal had been upheld.
An Independent Regulatory Commission has today [Tuesday 5 April 2016] upheld a wrongful dismissal claim in relation to West Ham United’s Cheikhou Kouyate.
The player, who was dismissed for serious foul play during the game against Crystal Palace on Saturday [2 April 2016], will therefore not serve any suspension.
Despite having their player back and available, Bilic will be feeling upset that a mistake by Clattenberg changed the game as it was high likely his side would’ve held on for the win had they not been reduced to 10-men. That two points dropped could be pivotal in their race for a UEFA Champions League spot.
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West Ham face a huge London derby against Arsenal at Upton Park on Saturday (Watch live, 7:45 a.m. ET on NBCSN and online via Live Extra) as the Hammers sit just three points off the top four with seven games to go.
Having combative midfielder Kouyate back available will certainly be a huge boost to Bilic and his side.