In the 49th minute, with Arsenal leading 1-0, Declan Rice pushed the ball out of bounds, preventing Brighton from taking a quick free kick and was hit in the shin by Joel Veltman. Referee Chris Kavanagh then showed Rice a second yellow card, sending him off, but did not penalise the Brighton defender.
Coach Mikel Arteta said Veltman deserved to be sent off for kicking Rice in the shin, while the Spanish captain criticised Kavanagh for not penalising Brighton for similar actions in the first half.
"I'm amazed, amazed, amazed, amazed by the inconsistent decisions. In the first half, there were two similar incidents and the referee didn't penalize anything. In the second half, in a non-dangerous area, the ball touched Rice's foot, he turned around, didn't see the opponent player and touched the ball lightly.
According to the rules, the referee could have shown a yellow card to Rice. But according to the rules, he had to show a red card to the Brighton player. That's what surprised me" - Arteta said after the match.
The Premier League explained that Rice had obstructed an opponent and was given a second yellow card. This was also the English midfielder's first red card in 245 Premier League appearances.
Raheem Sterling's arrival excited many Gunners fans at the Emirates, but Arsenal could only manage a 1-1 draw against Brighton as worries began to surface again.
September’s FIFA Days were a much-needed break for Arsenal to recover from Rice’s red card, but then come tough Premier League games against Tottenham and Manchester City, with a Champions League clash with Atalanta in between.
The Gunners' €32.5m signing Mikel Merino is likely to miss all three games after fracturing his shoulder in his first training session. Rice is also suspended after his controversial red card.
The upcoming international break will shape Arsenal's approach and also give Sterling a chance to settle in. Having not been called up by caretaker England manager Lee Carsley, Sterling will continue to train at Arsenal's London Colney training base and reacquaint himself with Arteta, who previously worked together for three years at Man City.
"We have to meet Sterling, talk to him about what he has done. We will try to get Sterling up to speed as quickly as possible and let him understand what we are looking for from him. We will use the next pre-season to do that and help him integrate as soon as possible" - Arteta said.
Arteta also shared about the absence of Rice and Merino in the near future. "This is what happens. We have to adapt to that situation. That's why we have other players who can take on that role. I will give that opportunity to other people."
