Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has now given his verdict on the red card that Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice received on Saturday.
Declan Rice was sent off as Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Mikel Arteta’s side dropped points in the Premier League for the first time this season against the Seagulls, and the entire game arguably hinged on Rice’s dismissal.
The Gunners were 1-0 up early in the second half when referee Chris Kavanagh showed the former West Ham United man a second yellow card after he nudged the ball away after Brighton had been awarded a free kick.
This decision has sparked major controversy and a great deal of debate. Gary Lineker feels Rice was harshly punished. Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey criticised Kavanagh too, accusing him of “looking for trouble.”
Arsenal will certainly feel hard done by, as very similar offences went unpunished even in the same game.
However, Dermot Gallagher has now come to Kavanagh’s defence.
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Why Chris Kavanagh was right to send off Declan Rice in Arsenal vs Brighton
Speaking on Sky Sports, Gallagher provided his insight into the incident.
He said: “They were told at the start of the season, I think the briefing was quite clear, that if you make this action delaying the restart you run the risk…
“Two things didn’t help him. If you look, he knows what he’s doing, and secondly the touchline…people will say he didn’t knock it very far, but he actually knocks it off the field, so you definitely can’t restart play. So, referee Chris Kavanagh has got nowhere to go really…
“Common sense and refereeing don’t actually go hand in hand do they? Because when a referee uses common sense, I come here on a Monday and say ‘hang on, we saw that thing given, we got told this, and he hasn’t followed it.’
“So the common sense that 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 the common sense is to apply the law correctly, which he has done.”
Rice must learn from red card blow
Whilst Rice will still feel hard done by, he will also appreciate that this is a mistake he cannot afford to make again.
Arsenal will now be without the England star for the upcoming North London derby clash with bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur due to Rice having been handed a one-match suspension as a result of his red card.
On top of that, summer signing Mikel Merino will almost certainly be sidelined for this match too, having picked up an injury in his first training session as an Arsenal player.
Arteta will need a new midfield solution when his side take on Spurs.
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