Wilfred Ndidi won’t look back fondly on the day he turned 21 as he ruled out a late Leicester fightback by getting himself sent off for a completely avoidable second booking in their heavy defeat to Crystal Palace at the KP Stadium.
Having already seen a yellow card shortly after half-time, Ndidi was sent for an early shower after deciding to hit the deck in pursuit of a penalty on the hour mark.
As clear that there was no contact from Palace defender Scott Dann and referee Martin Atkinson was well-placed to see that no foul had taken place.
The official made his mind up immediately and reached for his pocket. And on his birthday, the Foxes midfielder was denied the opportunity to aid in any late comeback for Claude Puel’s side.
The game was likely already beyond the hosts, after first-half goals from Christian Benteke and Wilfried Zaha gave Palace a 2-0 lead.
Ndidi was the first person to have been sent off on his birthday in the Premier League in two years, with Dwight Gayle the last man to fall victim to the kind of jokes that did the rounds on social media after Ndidi received a few cards on his birthday.
Cards… Birthday… Get it?
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