Arsenal receive new Declan Rice red card referee verdict as surprise Joel Veltman point made

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has offered his take on the controversial red card Declan Rice picked up against Brighton. The Gunners had been put in front by Kai Havertz in the first half before Rice was shown a second yellow card for delaying the restart after fouling Joel Veltman.

The 25-year-old picked up his first caution for a late lunge on the same player and he was then given his marching orders for kicking the ball away as the Seagulls attempted to take a free kick. As a result of his sending off, Rice will be suspended for the North London Derby against Tottenham in just under two weeks following the September international break.

Speaking on Sky Sports' ref watch. "The briefing was quite clear that if you made this action, delaying the restart, you run the risk. I say you run the risk because I think you're aware that you think somebody else should've got a yellow card, but that doesn't exonerate what he [Rice] did.

"Two things didn't help, if you look, he knows what he's doing and secondly the touchline and I say that because he knocks it off the field and you can't then restart play. So, referee Chris Kavanagh has got nowhere to go, he had a first yellow card for a lunging tackle in the first half and then second yellow card is mandatory and he gets sent off.

"Common sense and refereeing don't go hand in hand, because when a referee uses common sense I come here on a Monday and say 'well hang on we're told this and he hasn't followed this', the common sense you're talking about is to avoid the issue and not carry out his duties.

"The referee has used common sense in my view because common sense is to apply the law correctly which he has done." Asked if Veltman knew what he was doing, he added: "Maybe so, but it doesn't exonerate what Rice has done, all Veltman can do is take the kick.

"It can only be brought back if Veltman doesn't kick the ball but it is Rice that commits the offence and then the referee would blow his whistle and bring it back. What happens is Rice makes sure he can't kick the ball when he was legally able to."

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