Manchester City v Chelsea: The ‘Ridiculous’ Red Card Which Affected Big Match1 min read
The 26 seconds that Alex Greenwood used up before taking a free-kick for Manchester City proved more costly than expected in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea.
Referee Emily Heaslip’s decision to punish Greenwood for time-wasting, producing a second yellow card and sending off the England defender in the 38th minute, came out of the blue and stunned those inside Joie Stadium.
Ex-England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis described it as a “ridiculous” decision, while former Lioness Fara Williams said it was “shocking”.
There were loud boos in the stands from City supporters and chants directed at Heaslip, while three of Greenwood’s team-mates – Laia Aleixandri, Chloe Kelly and Jill Roord – were cautioned for dissent as they contested the decision.
They were among the 11 yellow cards shown, including one to City manager Gareth Taylor. Two of those were second bookings as City forward Lauren Hemp was also dismissed for a foul on Lauren James in the 81st minute.
For those who did not watch the game, you would have been forgiven for thinking the hosts had been overly aggressive as they became only the second team to have two players sent off in one WSL match, joining Bristol City in 2012.
However, that was not the case.
