Arsenal fans are still upset about referee Chris Kavanagh’s decision to send off Declan Rice during matchday three’s early kickoff draw against Brighton at the Emirates and have pointed to a similar incident involving Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi as evidence of inconsistent officiating.
Rice was sent off in the second half after receiving a second yellow for kicking the ball away after Brighton were awarded a free kick, minutes into the second half, a call that sparked reactions from Arsenal fans on social media.
But former referee Mike Dean had argued that it was the right call, citing the ”Letter of the Law.”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta also criticised the inconsistency in the referee’s decisions, highlighting a similar incident in the first half where Brighton attacker João Pedro kicked the ball away without receiving a penalty.
Arsenal fans react following Wilfred Ndidi’s ‘card-worthy’ act
Arsenal fans, still feeling aggrieved, have highlighted another similar incident that occurred in a 3 PM kickoff game.
Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi handled the ball after Aston Villa had won a foul, preventing the taker from restarting play immediately. This led to a scuffle, but the situation was ignored without any players being penalised.
The Gunners fans argued that following the so called ”Letter of the Law,” Ndidi also should have been booked.
One tweeted, ”Disgusting from Ndidi this should be sent off!”
Another replied sarcastically, ”Bro, they didn’t follow the letter of the law and give a yellow!”
A third wrote, ”Imagine booking Ndidi for that. How ridiculous would it have been? That’s what we got red carded for today. Even less.”
A fourth wrote, ”Send him off. Terrible from Wilf”
The draw puts an end to 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.
