Overview
- Estelle Cascarino, on loan from Juventus for three days, was stopped from entering at half-time because she could not remove a taped inner‑ear piercing.
- Football Association regulations require all jewellery to be removed and do not allow players to cover items with tape.
- Manager Rita Guarino said the earring needs a doctor to take out and questioned how the player had previously featured in the Champions League with tape.
- The restart was delayed, West Ham briefly resumed with 10 players, and Ines Belloumou returned before Chelsea closed out a 5-0 victory.
- Pundits Fara Williams and Nia Jones criticised the episode as a schoolgirl error and an absolute circus, with West Ham remaining 11th by one point above the relegation place.