The major debate following Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Brighton this weekend centers around the referee’s inconsistent application of the rules, which led to Declan Rice being sent off.
Rice received a second yellow card after appearing to block a Brighton free-kick restart.
While this is typically a punishable offence, some Gooners felt that the infraction was too minor to warrant such a harsh punishment.
Additionally, João Pedro seemed to break the rules when he kicked the ball out of play after the referee had blown his whistle.
The Brazilian was not cautioned, and Arsenal fans see this as an inconsistent decision from the match official, which makes the choice to give Rice a second yellow card questionable.
However, Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler insists both incidents are not the same and explained, as quoted by the Daily Mail:
‘You can’t compare these two situations. The first with Joao is a free-kick, so it’s a static situation. (The other is) more of a dynamic situation, it was not even a clear out so we tried to keep the ball in the game.
‘(It’s) a clear red card. He (Rice) shoots the ball away, it’s wasting time.’
‘So please never compare these situations because in football two situations are never the same.’
Just Arsenal Opinion
Until we get consistency from the interpretation of the rules of the game, this type of controversy will continue to abound in the Premier League.
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For those supporting the ref. There is an article on Sky. Five flaws in decision to send off ‘shocked’ Rice. The Brighton coach can say whatever he wants. He side left with a point because we didn’t convert our early chances. We move onto the spurs game.
That article looks like it was written by an arsenal fan
1. inconsistent with the João Pedro incident – I agree Pedro should have been carded, but these were very different situations. Unfortunately, the ref can’t go back and two wrongs don’t make a right.
2. Ball was moving when rice touched it – this is ridiculous and irrelevant. Even if the ball was moving, it doesn’t give rice the right to kick it away and stop him trying. Had the player taken the kick illegally, then you’d hope the ref would have rolled it back, or else it would have been a mistake, but it’s not up to rice to make that decision. This is the key point everyone seems to be missing imo.
3. It wouldn’t have caused a long delay – irrelevant if it was enough to prevent a forward pass being made that could have favoured Brighton.
4. Webb said refs try not to overreact in regards to a situation last season – not really relevant, and it depends if you think the ref overreacted here or not – it’s just opinion.
5. Question over whether veltman was actually trying to restart play, says he was shaping to kick it long and there were no Brighton players so far away – but there’s a feasible target for a pass within the image they present, so it’s all just to say veltman was being dishonest (and of course rice was innocent).
It’s very strange to see such a biased and unprofessional article in defence of an arsenal player on sky sports, and I can only think it’s because it involved rice. Never seen anything like it.
Why are they different situations?
1. According to you, both players kicked the ball away, so what’s the difference?
2. The player did take it illegally, as was pointed out by the ex PGMOL referee. Rice hadn’t retreated the ten yards, although he was walking away, his back to the defender, who sent the ball into contact with Rice. One shouldn’t HOPE that the referee makes the right decision and why are you saying Rice made the decision, when he had no clue the ball was going to hit him?
3. I don’t understand this point, as no one is talking about a long delay – wouldn’t it have been better if the ref had taken a little longer and thought about what had happened?
4. The referee DID react much too quickly and he didn’t follow the rules of the game, as has been proven.
5. Veltman was trying to get the ball further up the pitch to gain yardage, but the ball hit Rice’s leg instead. How could he be shaping to kick it long, when he was on the ground? We saw enough of the player during the game to know that he was not honest.
What’s strange is that your opinion differs from the article, from ex referees, from the laws of the game, from ex professionals like, of all people, John Terry, who says quote “the worst decision ever!!”
Just imagine, if the referee had made the defender wait for the whistle, after ensuring that Rice had retreated the ten yards required and not decided that Veltman had done nothing wrong… skysports wouldn’t have to have devoted so much time and effort to show that the referee had got it wrong from the second he allowed the defender to hit a moving ball.
I do agree that it’s strange for skysport to back the club and a Arsenal player, but it just goes to show how they felt about the injustice of it all.
1. Rice kicked it away when the player was about to kick the ball, Pedro kicked it away when the ball had gone out for a throw and our player hadn’t gone over to pick it up. Rice’s infringement could be seen as akin to a professional foul, whereas Pedro’s appeared more just frustration. Both should have been booked imo, but they are very different situations.
2. Rice made the decision to kick the ball – I don’t know why you’re focusing on the minor touch before he made the decision to kick the ball, it’s not relevant and you must know that!
3. It’s from the article (these 5 points are from the article)
4. It has not been proven – whether he was too hasty is just opinion.
5. Again, it says in the article he was shaping to hit it long, but I think you’re focusing on the period before the actual incident when rice kicked the ball.
Most of what I’ve seen is ex professionals disagreeing because they thought it was too harsh should have been handled differently – I have no problem with that. I don’t think the idea of a moving ball really stands up, and certainly not the 10 yard rule – how can we allow for quick freekicks if we’re going to enforce a 10 yard rule in all situations? It doesn’t make sense.
Carragher said both rice and veltman may have been trying to get eachother booked – there may be something to that, but you can’t look at that incident and say rice was totally innocent and did nothing wrong. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
To explain “akin to a professional foul” – had he been able to play it quickly, it could have resulted in an attack for Brighton, but rice’s illegal intervention prevented that and allowed his team more time to get into positions – I’m not saying it would have worked out that way, but rice doesn’t get to decide then the freekick should be taken.
I’m sorry Davu5, but you are not facing reality, even after it’s been explained to you by numerous people.
The free kick had not been taken, as it was a rolling ball and wasn’t in the right spot anyway.
Rice had his back to the defender, when the ball hit him and he wasn’t ten yards away, as the law states.
All of this happened before any movement by Rice and the yellow card should not have been issued.
To say that the I dependant sky’s port analysis seems to have been written by an Arsenal fan, shows your desperation in trying to be proven correct in your hasty decision to blame Rice for a tap away from the dead ball.
It’s pointless to continue going to and fro, especially as you are not able to see the facts as presented.
It hadn’t been taken, and rice kicked it away. And that’s what was punished.
When the ball touched rice, the freekick hadn’t yet been taken, so 10 yards had nothing to do with it.
10 yards doesn’t make sense in the context of a quick freekick – if that was always necessary it would favour the defender because they could always stop a quick freekick from being taken, so they could always slow down the game if they wished to, which defeats the point.
He himself didn’t believe it while he was saying it. He is apparently not good at keeping a straight face when lying. It was clear from his face. His face was begging for reporters to ask another question.
Well he would wouldn’t he, he’s hardly likely to say anything else.
Guess what, there was a footage showing Welbeck saying to the ref in his first, “it’s a second yellow”, and apparently that is not against the rules to instruct Refs to give cards to players. Lols. Kavanaugh really pulled of a player of the season award for Brighton yesterday.
Former referee Mark Halsey points out that the rule doesn’t apply in this case, and that it was inconsistently applied by Kavanagh during the match
“The ball was rolling when Brighton’s Joel Veltman took the free-kick, so the restart would not have taken place as it would have been wrong in Law,” Halsey pointed out in The S*n. “Therefore, the delaying a restart does not apply. “Kavanagh went looking for trouble and he found it. A referee of his calibre at this level should not be sending players off for this.
“He should have managed the situation better by speaking to both players. Rice should have received a final warning for flicking the ball away and Veltman was also lucky to escape punishment for kicking the England star.
Hurzeler does what managers do, defend their teams. He tried to justify his decision while Arteta expressed amazement at the call, all par for the course.
Is there a monopoly with PGMOL? If so then no wonder there are failures, because there is no fear of consequences or replacement.
Until clubs unite and break the PGMOL’s belief that they are somehow not to be criticized, expect more of the same.
Preferably another referee association to break the stranglehold of the PGMOL. VAR has created it’s own mess with delays and inconsistencies itself.
Other leagues and sports don’t seem to suffer the failures and inconsistencies that the Premier League does.
Top league in world football, but officiating ranks near the bottom; truly headscratching.
I just hope Arsenal learn the rules and stay clear of the wrong sides, otherwise, we’ll keep justifying loosing valuable points and turn out giving excuses for our unnecessary failures.
Finally, if we had taken our chances earlier on, we wouldn’t have been harmeringon human errors. Human errors from the Refrees and bigger ones from non taking our chances.
Saw the article too and also other comments from other media. This is one of the rare occasions most of the media and opposing fans are backing Arsenal and calling out the referee for his poor officiating. Saw the article too, and will not engage further and will ignore the comments of some trying to prove the point of been an unbiased Arsenal fan
Hurzeler is simply a shameless hypocrite. Pedro clearly kicks the ball away and goes unpunished!!!
It’s the same rule!!!
I did look up the history involving Mr Kavanagh and our club, just out of curiosity as, of course, it has nothing to do with Rice being sent off.
He has refereed us nineteen times since he became a PL referee in 2018.
We have dropped points in more than half of those games.
We have had bookings in all but two of those games.
The referee himself lives in Greater Manchester (and most of the PL referees live in the north of the country) .
He states that he supports non league club Drysden.
He recently reported The Arsenal and Nelson for over celebrating his last minute winning goal.
I guess his stats now show that there are still only two games where we haven’t had a player booked – even more than half of the games he’s officiated in have seen us drop points – will he report the club for excessive booing when he left the pitch at full time?
I wouldn’t be surprised in the least, but then I’m an old fellow who has seen some unbelievable refereeing decisions in my time.