Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has blamed the inconsistency of the referee for the Gunners’ disappointing 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion.
While Declan Rice’s first yellow card was justified for a reckless tackle, the second yellow card sparked controversy.
Rice was booked for “delaying the restart” by kicking the ball after the whistle, a decision that left fans fuming.
Many felt that the referee, Chris Kavanagh, made an incorrect decision in this instance.
After the game, Arteta evaluated his team’s performance and concluded that they played well while the match was at even strength and deserved to win even after Declan Rice was sent off.
What Mikel Arteta said
“Overall when we played against 11 v 11 we deserved to win the game and 11 v 10 we deserved to win the game. We lost two points,” he said, as quoted by Daily Sports.
But Mikel Arteta was confused with the decision to send Rice off. He admitted that the midfielder made a mistake but pointed out that a Brighton player had also committed a similar offense without being punished.
“I was amazed. In the first half, when the opponents did that they didn’t get any booking,” Arteta complained.
“He makes the call by law in a non-critical area of the pitch when the ball hit the heel when turning around to make that decision.
“By law, he can do it but be consistent. If that is the case, they should have a man sent off and then it is 10 v 10.
“Amazing, the team and the reaction of the crowd [after going a man down]. We created two big chances one v one and we should have won the game.”
The draw ends Arsenal’s perfect start to the season. They will now look to bounce back from this setback when they face local rivals Tottenham Hotspur after the international break.
