Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was frustrated with the officials after watching his side draw 1-1 with Brighton and Hove Albion at the Emirates Stadium, having played the majority of the second half with 10 men. (More Sports News)
Declan Rice was sent off for a second bookable offence after 49 minutes for 🍷delaying the restart from a Brighton free-kick, leaving Arteta to question the consisten꧙cy of the referee's decision-making.
“If that happens throughout the gamꦜe 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.
“꧒If we have to play with 10, they have to play⭕ with 10 as well.”
Despite 🎐his annoyance at the red card, Arteta was able to find positives in the performance of his team.
Arsenal went ♓1-0 up after 38 minutes through Kai Havertz’s second goal of the season, before conceding a second-half equaliser following Ric♛e’s dismissal.
“We started the game really good, crea💫ted three or four big chances,” he said.
“We started the second half really good, had some good moments and momentum and obviously that decision c🐼hanges the game comp🌌letely.
“It was unbelievable the way the team reacted [after the goal] with 10 men, playing 48 minutes, we should have won the gไame.”
Brighton manaꦕger Fabian Hurzeler, meanwhile, had a different opinion to his counterp🌺art.
“It was a red card, he shoots the ball away. He was wasting time,” said Hurzeler in h🔯is post-match press cꩲonference.
“If A💛rsenal think otherwise, there are 🥀now two opinions.”
When asked about a similar incident in which Joao Pedro seemed to avoid puni🐽shment for kicking the ball away, Hurzꦑeler suggested the two events were not like-for-like.
“You can’t compare the two situations,” he said.
“ꦺIn football, two situations are never the same. I was booked because I was complaining about the tackle against Joel [Veltman] in the first half. We can accept it’s in the Premier League, it’s a yellow card, but I think no one can complain if the referee gives the red card.”
