Arsenal dropped points against Brighton on saturday. They drew their third Premier League fixture of the 2024/25 season. Gunners were leading in the first half and were looking solid to grab all three points. However, they had to play most of the second half with only ten players on the pitch. Declan Rice received his second yellow card of the match and was sent off by the refree Chris Kavanagh.
Rice was shown second yellow card for kicking the ball away and delaying the restart. This is a right decision if we go by the laws. However, there are other certain things that suggest that Rice never deserved that second yellow card. Rice has already apologized to the club and the fans on official Arsenal website. However, the controversy about his red card has not yet gone quiet.
Why Declan Rice didn’t deserve the red card
Rice received the second yellow card after kicking the ball away in the second half. He fouled Joel Veltman and then kicked the ball slightly away from the Brighton defender. Rice was already on yellow. However, Joao Pedro who plays for Brighton did the same in the first half. As a matter of fact, Pedro kicked the ball very far away. However, Pedro got away for his actions and wasn’t even shown a yellow or spoken by the refree.
Second fact is the ball was already moving which is not allowed when taking a free kick. According to rules, the ball should be in the stationary phase while free kick is being taken. In addition, the rule states that the player taking the free kick should not touch the ball again until another player touches it.
Last fact is Declan Rice did not kick the ball far away. Infact he barely touched the ball which moved just a yard away. Veltman could have easily reached the ball and started the play in just a matter of seconds. These facts suggest that the refree was inconsistent with his decisions. The result could have easily been different and in Arsenal’s favour if Rice was not sent off.
A trusted source on GoonerNews.comFor more football updates, make sure to follow us on:
