Arsenal’s Captain Faces Controversy: Declan Rice Sent Off in Draw with Brighton
In a dramatic turn of events, Declan Rice, Arsenal’s captain, was controversially sent off during their 1-1 draw with Brighton on Saturday. The dismissal, which came early in the second half, was a major talking point as Arsenal looked set to secure a win.
Rice had initially been booked for a foul on Joel Veltman. He then received a second yellow card for kicking the ball away as Brighton prepared to take a free-kick, leading to his expulsion. This decision was met with widespread criticism from Arsenal’s camp.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed his astonishment at the referee’s call, stating, “I was amazed, amazed, amazed! The decision was inconsistent. There were earlier incidents in the game that were not penalized. Then, in a non-critical area, Declan accidentally touched the ball while turning around, and it resulted in a second yellow card.”
Brighton took advantage of their numerical superiority shortly after Rice’s exit. Joao Pedro equalized for Brighton, converting a rebound after David Raya saved Yankuba Minteh’s shot.
Despite Arsenal’s efforts to reclaim the lead, including late chances from Kai Havertz and Georginio Rutter, the game ended in a draw, costing the Gunners valuable points in their title chase.
Former Premier League official Mike Dean defended the referee’s decision, explaining that Rice’s action of kicking the ball away, which delayed the restart, justified the red card under the current rules. “He stopped the game from restarting, and since he was already on a yellow card, the referee had no choice but to issue a red card,” Dean said on Sky Sports.
In other Premier League action, Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick in Manchester City’s 3-1 victory over West Ham, continuing his impressive form and securing City’s place at the top of the table. Meanwhile, Aston Villa secured a 2-1 win over Leicester, and Brentford defeated Southampton 3-1. Everton experienced a dramatic 3-2 loss to Bournemouth, while Ipswich earned their first point in 22 years with a 1-1 draw against Fulham.