Chelsea and Aston Villa have both appealed to the FA against the red cards shown to Ashley Cole and Zat Knight in their 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

Referee Phil Dowd also sent off Chelsea's Portuguese defender Ricardo Carvalho for a two-footed lunge on Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor but the club are not appealing against that decision.

The appeals will be heard by the FA today before tomorrow's matches when Chelsea are at home to Newcastle United and Aston Villa travel to Wigan Athletic.

Chelsea defender Cole was sent off for a deliberate handball on the goal line deep in stoppage time at the end of the match which resulted in a penalty for Villa that Gareth Barry converted to leave the teams level at 4-4 at the finish.

Knight received a straight red for a foul on Michael Ballack that earned Chelsea a penalty which Andriy Shevchenko converted just before half-time.

Villa boss Martin O'Neill accused the Germany skipper of going down too easily under the challenge.

"It wasn't a penalty. The Chelsea player went over and there had been no contact," he told reporters after the game.

Ballack has denied the accusations, telling the London Evening Standard: "For me there is no discussion about this.

"I had the ball and two guys, not just one, came and one pushed me. It was a clear penalty."