Declan Rice Red Card In Arsenal vs Brighton Explained After Joao Pedro Controversy

Declan Rice was controversially sent off in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Brighton in Gameweek three of the Premier League and fans are wondering why Joao Pedro was not dismissed for a similar offence.

Why Was Declan Rice Sent Off Against Brighton?

In the first half at the Emirates Stadium, the England international was handed a yellow card for a reckless tackle on Brighton defender, Joel Veltman.

This came just moments after Kai Havertz had put the Gunners 1-0 ahead with a lovely chipped finish over the head of Bart Verbruggen.

The major controversy came just after the restart, as Rice was handed a second yellow card in the 49th minute for kicking the ball away after a foul on Joel Veltman.

Despite minimal contact with the ball, the Englishman was deemed to be delaying the restart of the match, as Veltman looked to take the free kick quickly.

When looking at the rules, specifically set by the FA, kicking the ball away after committing an offence does not warrant a booking.

However, the caution comes if the ball is kicked away and delays the restart of the game – which was called into question as Brighton’s Joao Pedro did not receive a booking in the first half for a similar offence.

Why Was Joao Pedro Not Sent Off?

In the first half of the match, Joao Pedro kicked the ball away after it went out of play for a throw in and the Brazilian did not receive a yellow card.

The infringement by Rice was not a huge action, tapping the ball away slightly, however, it was deemed to be delaying the restart and Joao Pedro’s action was not.

This has reportedly been put down to the fact that there were not any Arsenal players near the ball looking to get the game restarted.

What Games Will Declan Rice Miss?

Declan Rice’s red card against Brighton means that he will now miss Arsenal’s away visit to Tottenham Hotspur in the fiercely awaited North London Derby.

As it was two yellow cards and not a straight red card, the English midfielder will only miss the one match instead of three.

This dismissal was the first red card that Declan Rice has received during his career and the 24-year-old is the first Arsenal player to be sent off in the Premier League since Fabio Vieira was dismissed against Burnley in November 2023.