Mikel Arteta voiced his disbelief over Chris Kavanagh’s decision to hand Declan Rice the first red card of his career, emphasizing that the controversial call played a crucial role in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Brighton.
Arsenal appeared to be on track for a victory when Kai Havertz gave them the lead in the 38th minute. However, Rice was sent off just 11 minutes later after receiving a second yellow card for subtly kicking the ball away from a Brighton free-kick near the corner flag, delaying the restart.
The decision sparked outrage as no caution was issued to Joel Veltman, who had caught Rice in the follow-through. With Arsenal down to 10 men, Joao Pedro equalized in the 58th minute, and the match ended 1-1 in front of a lively Emirates Stadium crowd.
Arteta expressed his frustration with Kavanagh’s inconsistent decisions and hinted that Pedro, who was later booked, should have received a yellow card in the 18th minute when he kicked the ball away after it went out for a throw-in.
“I was amazed—amazed, amazed, amazed at how inconsistent decisions can be,” Arteta said. “In the first half, there were two incidents, and nothing happened. Then, in a non-critical area, the ball hits Declan, he turns around, doesn’t see the player coming, and touches the ball.
“By law, the referee can make that call, but by law, he should make the next call, which would result in a red card for Veltman so we would play 10 vs. 10. This is what amazed me. At this level, it’s unbelievable.”
The past 24 hours had been dramatic for Arsenal, with the season-long loan signing of Raheem Sterling only confirmed at 1:45 am on Saturday, while three other key players departed on the final day of the summer transfer window.
Sterling watched as his new teammate Bukayo Saka started in threatening form, but the hosts didn’t take the lead until seven minutes before halftime.
Lewis Dunk was at fault for Arsenal’s opener when he was too easily outmuscled by Saka, who set up Havertz to chip the ball home.
Rice received his first caution before halftime after a clash with Veltman, and it proved costly when the pair tangled again in the 49th minute. After Brighton won a free-kick, Veltman kicked the ball forward, hitting Rice before the Arsenal midfielder subtly kicked it away, resulting in a second yellow card.
Despite calls from Arsenal fans for a red card for Veltman, it was Rice who was sent off, and Brighton equalized nine minutes later. Dunk’s brilliant through ball set Yankuba Minteh free, and while David Raya blocked his attempt, Pedro fired home to level the score.
Substitutes Yasin Ayari and Georginio Rutter both came close for Brighton, but Arsenal could have snatched all three points if not for Bart Verbruggen’s save on Havertz’s solo effort in the 74th minute. Havertz later set up Saka, but his weak shot was easily saved by the Brighton goalkeeper, and the match ended 1-1.
Arteta reflected on the match, saying, “It was a very emotional afternoon. The referee’s decision changed the course of the game. Even with 10 men, the team responded incredibly well, the stadium was electric, and we probably should have won.”
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler, 31, maintained his unbeaten start as Brighton boss and dismissed claims that Pedro should have been booked in the first half.
“For me, it was a clear red card. He kicks the ball away, wasting time,” Hurzeler said. “You can’t compare these two situations. The first with Joel was a free-kick, a static situation. The other was more dynamic—it wasn’t even clearly out of play, so he tried to keep the ball in play. Please, never compare these two situations because in football, no two situations are the same.”
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