Leicester City Manager Claude Puel Reflects on Ndidi’s Red Card Amidst Defeat to Crystal Palace

Leicester City manager Claude Puel expressed his disappointment at the untimely dismissal of Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi during their 3-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday. Ndidi, marking his 21st birthday, received a second yellow card for alleged diving in the 61st minute of the match.

The scoring onslaught for Crystal Palace was orchestrated by Christian Benteke in the 19th minute, Wilfred Zaha in the 40th minute, and Bakary Sako in the 94th minute.

In the aftermath of the game, Puel candidly acknowledged that Leicester fell short of their best form. “A lot of things were missing today; it was not a good day for us,” Puel conceded during his post-match press conference. “From kick-off, we did not have good intensity and could not find a solution. Our play was too slow against a good team with a strong defensive unit, and we needed more quickness and quality in the play.”

Puel further addressed the impact of Ndidi’s red card on the team’s performance, stating, “The red card prevented us from trying to come back in the game. Without Wilfred Ndidi, it was difficult to recover the ball and put Crystal Palace under pressure.”

While acknowledging the collective effort of Crystal Palace, Puel emphasized, “Palace deserves the result; they played with desire, togetherness, and quality. We did not deserve a win.”

Reflecting on the challenges ahead, Puel commented, “It was not a good start, and then we knew we have to play a lot of games, and we have a short space of time to recover. It is the same for other teams. We need to come back with a strong spirit.”