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Ally McCoist reacts live on air to Declan Rice red card during Arsenal v Brighton
Arsenal were in cruise control against Brighton this afternoon before a surprise red card for Declan Rice sent the game into chaos at The Emirates.
Rice was shown a red for an act of petulance that saw Joel Veltman kick him after Rice had toed the ball away.
By the letter of the law, Rice caused an obstruction and was shown a second yellow card for what was his first red card in over 240 games in the Premier League.
Almost immediately afterwards, Brighton got their equaliser through Joao Pedro and The Emirates was left in shock.
As was, it seems, TNT Sports co-commentator, Ally McCoist.
Ally McCoist stunned by Declan Rice red card during Arsenal v Brighton
Watching the replays comes through live on air for , former Scotland man McCoist admitted he was shocked by what he saw.
And he insisted that really, it should have been Veltman who was punished, not Rice.
“I don’t know what Declan Rice is meant to do,” McCoist said.
“It looked like it was a kick-out at him! I think Joel Veltman is lucky to stay on the pitch with his kick out.”
Laws of the game mean Rice red looked correct
Just because Declan Rice didn’t kick the ball a long way, it doesn’t mean it isn’t an offence.
At the end of the day, the officials are there to apply the rules and Rice did indeed move the ball out of way, causing what’s deemed an obstruction and ultimately, another yellow.
Had he not already been booked for a silly yellow in the first place, there’s no major talking point here anyway.
Arsenal will feel they’ve been hard done to on this one but that simply cannot be the narrative every time a player steps out of line and gets his comeuppance.
There’ll be no overturning this one, as hard as they might try.