Crystal Palace are having a great run in the Premier League this season. The win against Wolverhampton Wanderers have put them in the fifth position.
However, for their women’s team, the situation is not that great. They are 8th in the Women’s Super League. And their Women’s League Cup tie against Leicester City has sparked a major controversy.
The entire chaos surrounds one of their top midfielders, who can now get a much longer ban after receiving a red card following a heated incident against Leicester.
According to The Telegraph, Crystal Palace midfielder Ruesha Littlejohn now faces a major disciplinary storm.
She received a straight red card for grabbing Leicester City’s Hannah Cain in a headlock and dragging her to the ground during their League Cup meeting on Sunday.
The incident erupted late in Palace’s 3–0 win when a small clash between players sparked a heated reaction. Littlejohn first shoved Cain, who pushed her back moments later.
The 35-year-old then snapped, wrapped an arm around Cain’s neck, and wrestled her down in a chaotic scene that stunned both sets of players.
As they fell, Littlejohn appeared to stumble over another body, but her aggressive response left the referee with no choice but to send her off.
The midfielder, who joined Palace in September, now waits for the FA to decide her punishment.
A standard ban for violent conduct lasts three matches, but that can increase when an incident carries extra severity.
The headlock, the takedown, and the intensity of the clash could convince officials to hand out a longer suspension.
Both players know each other well after signing for Leicester together in 2020. Littlejohn left after six months, and Cain stayed on.
Palace have already reached the League Cup quarterfinals and will discover their next opponent on Tuesday.
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