Tottenham star makes history as first punished for ‘deception’ in WSL

Tottenham star Eveliina Summanen has made WSL history by becoming the first player to be punished for deception.

The Spurs ace caused controversy when she went down clutching her face in a clash with Ella Toone, despite the Manchester United star appearing to shove Summanen on her shoulders. And Summanen's theatrics resulted in Toone getting sent off when the sides clashed in early February.

However, Summanen's exuberant actions have cost her a two-match ban after the FA charged her with “successful deception of a match official” on Tuesday, the i reported. It's the first time the charge has been enforced in the WSL despite its introduction to the sport in 2017.

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But Spurs are reportedly "extremely surprised at the decision to ban Summanen", a source told the publication, as her reputation could be tarnished in the game. Plus, the club's hierarchy believe the punishment hasn't been dished out consistently in the men's and women's game, it was added by the source.

So far, three male players have been handed the charge since its inception. The first-ever recipient was Carlisle United striker Shaun Miller, who was penalised after winning a penalty against Wycombe Wanderers.

In the Premier League, ex-Everton star Oumar Niasse was also banned for using trickery to get a penalty against Crystal Palace in 2017. While Leeds Patrick Bamford felt the brunt of the charge when he got Aston Villa star Anwar El Ghazi sent off in 2019 after pretending to have been caught with an arm by the midfielder.

Surprisingly, Tottenham star Harry Kane is yet to be hit with the deception charge despite his many questionable feints throughout his career. Kane's theatrics wound Chris Sutton up so much last year, that the ex-Blackburn Rovers ace called Spurs' all-time top scorer the King of the Divers after the striker hit the deck against Everton.

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