West Ham United knew they would have a difficult afternoon when they hosted defending champions Chelsea at the Chigwell Construction Stadium on Sunday.
And so it proved – but one of the biggest challenges was of their own making.
With Chelsea already 3-0 up in the first quarter of an hour – with goals from Aggie Beever-Jones, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Erin Cuthbert – the task got even harder in the 23rd minute.
That was when Ines Belloumou tugged on the hair of Alyssa Thompson, grabbing the end of her ponytail, and was given a straight red card.
Thompson could clearly be seen on the television broadcast clutching her head and saying, “She pulled my hair!”
Captain Katrina Gorry attempted to argue with referee Callum Jones but it fell on deaf ears.
“Initially she’s going for the shirt, but by the end of it, she is holding her hair,” said co-commentator and former West Ham player Gilly Flaherty on the BBC as she reviewed the footage.
And Flaherty mentioned a similar incident in the summer’s Women’s Euros, when Germany’s Kathrin Hendrich was sent off in the quarter-finals for pulling the hair of France’s Griedge Mbock.
“We saw this in the Euros as well. You just can’t do it. It’s a silly red card, and obviously West Ham have been punished by it.”
She added: “It’s a silly thing to do.”
“It’s a moment of madness,” added former England international Anita Asante during her half-time analysis.
Alyssa Thompson substituted, Chelsea top table
As often happens, though, West Ham regrouped after the sending-off and put on a better display when they were a player down, managing to hold out for the next 45 consecutive minutes.
However, they did concede one more goal, with Catarina Macarino setting up Wieke Kaptein in the 70th minute. It came just a matter of seconds after Ffion Morgan’s great chance was saved by Blues keeper Hannah Hampton at the other end.
Alyssa Thompson – who signed for Chelsea from Angel City on transfer deadline day earlier this month – had been substituted on the hour mark.
The 4-0 win resulted in Chelsea returning to the top of the Women’s Super League table, having been temporarily displaced earlier in the day by Manchester United, who kicked off earlier and defeated Liverpool 2-0.
And United are the team that Chelsea will face next, at Leigh on Friday, 3rd October.
West Ham – bottom of the league – host Aston Villa next Sunday, 5th October.
