Arsenal fans fumed over Rice Red card

• Rice sent off against Brighton
• Arsenal player was kicked by an opponent.
• Second yellow for knocking the ball away

• What transpired?: Rice sent off against Brighton

Referee Chris Kavanagh sent Rice off shortly after the break at the Emirates Stadium. He was initially penalized for a foul on Joel Veltman but then inadvertently stepped into the path of the Brighton defender, who swung a leg in response. The crowd erupted in chants of ‘off, off, off,’ eager to see Veltman penalized. However, it was Rice who received a second yellow card, apparently for discreetly nudging the ball away as Veltman prepared to take the free-kick.

• What fans are saying: an Arsenal player was kicked by an opponent.

Celebrity supporter Piers Morgan voiced his frustration: “What on earth was that? Declan Rice gets a red card for being kicked around? This is the worst decision I’ve ever seen.” YankeeGunner added: “No matter if you think Rice was being cheeky or not, you can’t send a player off for that. It’s pure ‘main character’ syndrome from Kavanaugh.” NepentheZ had strong feelings about the officiating: “Wait, what did Rice even get sent off for? Lmao. This ref is a joke; he’s been a Brighton fan all match.” Jamie Kent commented: “The TNT Sports commentators trying to claim that Declan Rice’s tackle deserved a red card is just absurd. Thank goodness for Ally McCoist, who brings some sense to the conversation.” Zeets simply remarked: “He got sent off for being kicked?”

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• Second yellow for knocking the ball away

Rice’s red card, resulting from two yellow cards, leads to an automatic one-match suspension. Consequently, he will miss the north London derby following the international break on September 15. This is a significant setback for the Gunners as they prepare for their first major clash of the new season.

What is on the Horizon?

Rice will join the England squad after the weekend, as the Arsenal team briefly disperses for international commitments across the globe. Unfortunately, there is no option to appeal his suspension since it resulted from two yellow cards rather than a direct red.