Chelsea captain Reece James gets sent off for a ridiculous kick

In an unfortunate turn of events, Chelsea’s Reece James was sent off during a 2-1 victory against Brighton, mimicking a similar incident involving his sister, Lauren James, during last year’s World Cup. James, who had recently returned from a lengthy injury, was shown a red card in the 89th minute after lashing out at Joao Pedro, striking the Brazilian forward on the thigh. This incident occurred after Pedro had fouled and grounded James.

This dismissal marks James’ second of the season, leading to a suspension for the first three Premier League games of the next season. Initially, referee Michael Salisbury missed the incident, but after a VAR review, he issued the red card to James. Lauren James, Reece’s sister, faced a similar situation last August when a VAR review resulted in her being sent off for stamping on Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie.

Chelsea were leading 2-0 when Reece James was dismissed. Brighton managed to score a consolation goal through Danny Welbeck during stoppage time. Earlier in the game, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer scored his 22nd goal of the season, and substitute Chris Nkunku scored another goal midway through the second half, putting the Blues in a comfortable position.

The match, however, was not without controversy. Chelsea had a penalty overturned after referee Salisbury reviewed a challenge on former Brighton player Marc Cucurella. Additionally, many Chelsea fans were upset when an apparent elbow by ex-Chelsea player Tariq Lamptey on Mykhailo Mudryk went unpunished. Mudryk was substituted for Nkunku, who played a crucial role in Chelsea’s win, helping the team reach sixth place in the standings and overtaking Newcastle.

Despite the win, James’ red card damaged the celebrations for Chelsea and their manager, Mauricio Pochettino. James had made a positive impact in his return during Chelsea’s 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest, where he set up a goal. However, his retaliatory action against Brighton almost cost the team the match.

Lauren James had previously apologized for her red card incident and promised to learn from her mistake. Following her dismissal in the World Cup, she expressed regret and assured fans that she would not repeat such actions. James’ recent behavior on the field highlights the ongoing challenge for players to maintain composure during high-stress moments in critical matches.