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Graeme Souness has strong feelings over whether Declan Rice should have been sent off during Arsenal vs Brighton
Arsenal drew 1-1 against Brighton & Hove Albion on the weekend, with the big talking point being Declan Rice’s dismissal against the Seagulls.
The England international received a second yellow card for seemingly kicking the ball away from Joel Veltman, even though the incident actually saw Rice br🅺ushing a moving ball as the Bri🦩ghton defender lashed out on Rice.
By the letter of the law, the referee was within his right to book Rice and to send the Arsenal midfielder off, with former referee Dermot Gallagher suggesting that the official had no choice but to🤪 show the former West Ham captain another yellow card.
And Graeme Souness has now shared his verdict on the incident.
Souness baffled by referee’s decision to award Rice a second yellow card
Speaking on , the pundit was confused why Rice was shown a second yellow card, wit🔯h Souness suggesting that the entire incident was 𒉰caused by Veltman misbehaving and doing everything possible to get the Arsenal man sent off.
Indeed, the tactic worked from the Dutch defender, with Rice going off and Arsenal conceding their lead against Brig🐈hton, and Souness is not pleased with how the entire episode went down at the Emirates Stadium.
The Liverpool legend said: “Veltman in the initi⛎al challenge throws himself to the ground like he has been badly challenged. And then he has rolled the ball towards Declan Rice. What was he trying to achieve at that moment in time? I am going to kick through him?
“I am going﷽ to try to take a quick free kick and get him another yellow card for standing in the way of the bal. It was all down to Veltman misbehaving, and that’s the nicest word I can use. You don’t get sent off for that. You don’t get a yellow card for that. He has flicked it with the outside of his foot.”
Common sense should have been applied to Rice decision
Premier League referees are regarded across world football as some of the worst at the top-level, and Saturday’s incident in north London was as good an example as any as to why officials in the division have𝕴 a lonꩵg way to go in terms of making correct calls.
By the law decisions and a lack of common sense have made referees big targets for players, managers and fans when games go in the other direction, with Arsenal supporters well within their﷽ right to be mad about what happened on Saturday.
And with Rice now out for the ꦉNorth London Derby, there’s a real chance that Chris Kavanagh’s decision to unjustly send off Arsenal’s main midfielder could have major implications on the Premier League title 𒆙race.