USWNT star Alyssa Thompson 'crying and emotional' after hair pull vs. Arsenal
Alyssa Thompson was "crying and emotional" after getting her hair pulled in Chelsea's match against Arsenal on Wednesday, according to Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor. Chelsea was ahead 1-0 on the night but needed another goal at Stamford Bridge, trailing 3-2 on aggregate as the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal second leg entered its final minutes. Deep into stoppage time, Thompson burst past Arsenal's Katie McCabe, who tugged the American winger down by her hair.
Referee Frida Mia Klarlundto opted not to punish McCabe and VAR did not review the incident. That led to a furious reaction from Bompastor, who was given a red card amid her angry protest. "For me, it is clearly a red card for the Arsenal player.
She's pulling Alyssa Thompson's hair," Bompastor told the BBC after the game. "If the VAR is not able to check that situation, I don't know why we have the VAR. I'm the one getting a red card when I think the Arsenal player should be the one getting a red card.
" Defending champion Arsenal hung on to beat Chelsea 3-2 on aggregate and advance to the semifinal. No card was shown to Katie McCabe after she stopped Alyssa Thompson’s run with a hair pull 👀 pic. twitter.
com/7JKeHVfXt4 — ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) April 1, 2026 Thompson was "crying and emotional" after the game, Bompastor added. "She's trying her best on the pitch in both games and it is not good enough — when you are playing football and someone pulls your hair, it's bad," Bompastor said. Shortly after the game ended, McCabe posted on Instagram: "I just want to clarify that I was genuinely reaching for the shirt.