Arsenal 1-1 Brighton: Rice sees red in absurd circumstances

Match report – Participant rankings – Arteta response – Video

Arsenal stay unbeaten to date this season, however the good begin to the marketing campaign was halted after a 1-1 draw with Brighton yesterday.

The one change from the aspect that beat Aston Villa was the deserved return of Leandro Trossard to the beginning line-up, and I assumed this recreation had the same sort of vibe to final week’s encounter. Brighton arrange with a line of 4 gamers excessive up the pitch every time we had possession on the again, trying to reduce off passing lanes via the center.

So, we discovered pleasure out broad, particularly via Bukayo Saka who gave Jack Hinshelwood a troublesome time within the opening levels. I felt like we have been constructing our means into the sport, steadily and with confidence, however Brighton have been boosted by an harm. It appears unusual to say it, however Yasin Ayari changing James Milner early on gave their midfield extra dynamism, and I don’t suppose we have been helped by Martin Odegaard taking a heavy kick on the knee. He by no means gave the impression to be fairly himself after that.

Not lengthy earlier than, the captain had a fantastic probability to attain, however like Saka in a few moments beforehand, the conviction wasn’t fairly there within the end. On the different finish, we had a scrappy 30 seconds which noticed Karou Mitoma shoot broad, however as we headed in direction of half-time, we discovered a means via. Saka was too robust for Lewis Dunk, he performed the ball over the defender for the onrushing Kai Havertz, who lobbed the goalkeeper with a ravishing end to make it 1-0.

That was a kind of moments the place you anticipate Havertz to attain, however wouldn’t have been that shocked if the ball bounced simply broad. I noticed him discuss wanting to attain 20 objectives this season, and people are the moments that may get him near that tally. It was medical and environment friendly, and simply what you need out of your centre-forward in a decent recreation.

The primary speaking level of the sport although is what occurred early within the second half. Already on a deserved yellow from the primary half, Declan Rice was issued a second by referee Chris Kavanagh for evenly tipping the ball, after which getting booted by Joel Veltman. Let me say this, I’m not eager about any ‘letter of the legislation’ nonsense round this incident, as a result of no participant must be despatched off for that. Not even a Tottenham participant, that’s how strongly I really feel about this.

It’s totally absurd to make a workforce play with 10 males for that ‘offence’, for every kind of causes. First, the ball is rolling, it’s not even a authorized free kick, and we are able to all see what Veltman is attempting to do – that’s get an opponent despatched off. He’s not attempting to get the sport restarted by taking part in a go to a teammate, he was attempting kick it at Rice within the hope the ref would give him a second yellow for not getting out the way in which.

Secondly, if Rice brushing the ball along with his foot is deemed worthy of a second yellow card, why was there no yellow card within the first half for Joao Pedro who actually booted the ball away to forestall us from taking a throw in whereas he would have been barely out of place? Simply to be clear, I don’t actually have a problem with that not being a yellow card by itself, however while you apply the foundations to 1 workforce and never the opposite, it’s infuriating – particularly when it ends in the final word sanction for a participant within the form of a purple card. Additionally, that is the sort of factor that occurs numerous occasions in each single recreation with out gamers being booked, in order that sort of inconsistency permeates this complete state of affairs.

That’s the reason the letter of the legislation nonsense ought to go proper within the bin, and why I’m not of a thoughts to hearken to any criticism of Rice. The referee might have simply come over and mentioned ‘Lads, simply get on with it’, and there would have been few complaints (past no card for Veltman kicking Rice that arduous). As for the Brighton supervisor Fabian Hurzeler insisting it was a yellow card as a result of Rice ‘shoots the ball away’, whereas insisting you possibly can’t evaluate/give a yellow to Pedro for doing the identical factor (however way more clearly), that’s the sort of factor that drives me mad.

He had the chance to do the sport some service by saying ‘Yeah, we acquired a bit fortunate, you don’t need to see gamers despatched off for that’, however as an alternative he backed up what is among the most appalling bits of officiating you’ll see all season. He’s not on my Christmas card listing, that’s for positive (except I ship playing cards saying ‘I hope your turkey is overly dry and the cat pisses within the gravy, you prick’). I’d put a really giant wager down that no different participant shall be despatched off that between now and Could, and no matter how this determination continues to be justified by media and pundits (and little doubt ESPN’s PGMOL Pravda Propagandist), it’s an absurdity that we needed to play many of the second half with 10 males for one thing as asinine and nonsensical as that.

Brighton’s equaliser got here as we have been getting ready to make a change and alter our form. A very good ball from Dunk noticed Minteh get between William Saliba and Gabriel. David Raya saved the preliminary shot, however it fell for Joao Pedro who slotted house for 1-1. For as soon as this season the centre-halves acquired caught out positionally, and while you watch replays, the way in which the goalscorer ran off Thomas Partey does nothing to assuage my issues about his potential to maintain up with the pacier legs of the opposition we face. I additionally suppose he switched off, responsible of ball-watching, and when that occurs on this league, you get punished.

Riccardo Calafiori got here on as we shifted to a again 5, an attention-grabbing change, however one I believe dictated to by what we had on the bench. Ideally you’d in all probability deliver on one other midfielder, however I don’t suppose Partey and Jorginho in a ten-man workforce towards the sort of gamers Brighton have would have been the precise transfer. Even so, we had probabilities. Havertz did very well to manage and burst via, just for the keeper to make an excellent save. May Saka have gone down within the field from the rebound? I believe so, however you possibly can’t blame him for backing himself to have a go at aim.

It was Havertz once more who made a fantastic probability for Saka on the again publish, however he was simply on the stretch and couldn’t make the precise contact. On the again, I assumed Ben White was excellent, the 2 centre-halves rediscovered their solidity, whereas the protected fingers of Raya from crosses and set-pieces actually helped us stand up to the stress Brighton put us below. However the truth they created so little in on a regular basis they’d with an additional man is a giant credit score to the organisation and self-discipline of your complete workforce.

Afterwards, Mikel Arteta mentioned:

With 10 males, the workforce reacted unbelievably nicely, the stadium reacts unbelievably nicely and we should always have gained the sport.

And on the sending off, he selected his phrases fastidiously:

I used to be amazed. Amazed, amazed, amazed due to how inconsistent selections may be. Within the first half, there have been two incidents and nothing occurred. This amazed me, at this stage. I’ll repeat myself. By legislation, you need to do it however you didn’t do it within the first half. After which now we have to play 11 towards 10. Quite simple.

As I mentioned above, if Pedro had been booked for kicking the ball away within the first half, we might haven’t any complaints concerning the Rice incident this morning, however that’s not what occurred. The foundations have been utilized in a different way to us, and that’s simply basically unfair. It additionally means we’ll be with out him for the North London derby after the Interlull so it seems like a double-whammy.

Nonetheless, if we all know something about Mikel Arteta and the way he operates, he’ll use this in one of the simplest ways he can. It’s removed from superb, however it is likely to be helpful when it comes to constructing an ‘us towards them’ mentality, that’s my solely slight silver-lining round this at this time. So, we stay unbeaten, and now we hope that our gamers who go away on worldwide responsibility come again protected and sound.

I’ll depart it there for now, have a great Sunday everybody, and we’ll chat extra about all this within the Arsecast Further tomorrow.