Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta was left unhappy by the referee’s lack of consistency following Declan Rice’s red card in their 1-1 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion at the Emirates, Soccernet.football reports.
Arsenal played the majority of the second half with ten men after Rice received a second yellow card and was sent off in the 49th minute for delaying the restart of a Brighton free-kick by kicking the ball away.
Brighton’s Joao Pedro appeared to avoid punishment for committing a similar offense, prompting Arteta to question the consistency of the referee’s decision-making.
“If that happens throughout the game in a consistent way that’s fine,” he told TNT Sports in a post-match interview.
“But it didn’t happen. In the first half, there were a number of occasions where they kicked the ball away and nothing happened.
“It’s inconsistency and it’s in an area where it’s not critical. You made that call and you have to give a red card. If we have to play with ten, they have to play with ten as well.”
Despite his annoyance at the red card, Arteta was able to find positives in the performance of his team. The Gunners took the lead after 38 minutes through Kai Havertz’s second goal of the season, before conceding a second-half equalizer following Rice’s dismissal.
“We started the game really good, created three or four big chances,” he said.
“We started the second half really good, had some good moments and momentum and obviously that decision changes the game completely.
“It was unbelievable the way the team reacted [after the goal] with 10 men, playing 48 minutes, we should have won the game.”
The draw sees both Arsenal’s and Brighton’s hundred percent record come to an end.