Women’s Super League refereeing was put in the spotlight again after a controversial penalty decision and case of mistaken identity marred a deserved 3-1 Chelsea win over their title rivals Manchester City at Kingsmeadow.
With the game scoreless, the Chelsea forward Erin Cuthbert lashed a screaming shot towards goal and the ball ricocheted off the body of City’s leaping left-back Demi Stokes, who had her arms tightly to her chest, as her teammate Ellen White jumped with her arms aloft behind her. With a poor line of sight, England’s premier female referee, Rebecca Welch, pointed to the spot and issued a yellow card to White. The forward was dragged away from Welch by Lucy Bronze as she screamed her innocence.
