'A really interesting topic' - Ex-Man City CB Onuoha reacts to Declan Rice's red card in Arsenal v Brighton

Former Manchester City central defender Nedum Onuoha has had his say on whether Declan Rice should have been sent off during Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League early kick-off fixture played on Saturday at the Emirates Stadium.

Kai Havertz opened the scoring in the 38th minute with a lob over the goalkeeper after being put through on goal by Bukayo Saka who had outmuscled Lewis Dunk to a long ball.

The German forward's strike put the Gunners in a comfortable position, but Brighton turned the game on its head when Rice was sent off for a second bookable offence four minutes after the start of the second half.

The England international had received a booking for a foul on Joël Veltman in the first half and had a confrontation with him at the start of the second half, which led to his first-ever sending-off.

He fouled Veltman, who in return kicked him, but the referee, Chris Kavanagh, after a consultation with the Video Assistant Referee, ruled that the Brighton defender tried to kick the ball and not Rice.

A free-kick was awarded to the Seagulls, which was to be taken by Veltman, but the former West Ham skipper kicked the ball away, which prompted Kavanagh to show him a second yellow card.

A few minutes after he came off, João Pedro put Brighton back on level terms, slotting home after David Raya had saved Yakubu Minteh’s initial effort.

Speaking in his post-match conference, Mikel Arteta faulted the decision to send off Rice, stating that Pedro could have also been giving his marching orders if he had been booked for kicking the ball away earlier in the game.

Reacting to Arteta’s comment on ESPN FC, Onuoha stated that Rice was rightfully sent off and Kavanagh's decision not to book Pedro for a similar offense doesn't change that.

“Do you know this is a really interesting topic. Yes, we can have conversation about consistency but then I think what Declan Rice did is worthy of a yellow card in itself," Onuoha stated.

“I think Arteta, it felt as if he was trying to gaslight me a little bit there, saying it just touched his heel and it went off.

“Not really, I think you can see that Declan Rice had sensed that Veltman was trying to kick the ball forward, so he just cheekily nudged it to the side and by the letter of law that will be a yellow card.

‘I think the João Pedro one should have been a yellow card, but I think if people want consistency, then have the conversation about well should Declan have been yellow carded, then is it a yellow card offense."

Onuoha added: “I think for a player that hasn't been sent off in his career, I think to even take the chance at all whether it is consistent or not, I think that kind of misses the point because worst case for him, another way he could have been sent off is if he stood in front of the ball and it is kicked into him.

"At that point the referee is probably going to give him a yellow card anyway, so I think he has mismanaged that moment and yes the referee could have been more consistent throughout the game.

“But when you put yourself in a position where the referee can make a decision and it doesn't go your way, I think to only say that someone else should have been booked negates the fact that also your player in my opinion should have done better in that moment.”

Arteta will be unable to call on his star midfielder for the north London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur after the international break as he is going to serve a one-match suspension for his red card.

Abdulkareem Abdulhamid

Photo Credit: arsenal.com

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