Saka bemoans inconsistent refereeing after Rice red card

Bukayo Saka has bemoaned the inconsistency of Chris Kavanagh’s officiating after he showed a red card to Declan Rice in Arsenal’s match against Brighton on Saturday.

Arsenal faced Brighton in the early kick-off on Saturday, with both teams having the opportunity to keep their respective 100% records going and take their place at the top of the Premier League table.

The Gunners came out the stronger in the first half, dominating the shots on target and taking a deserved lead when Kai Havertz lifted a shot into the net from a clever Bukayo Saka assist.

Yet the game turned on an incident early in the second half, with Declan Rice sent off for a second yellow card.

Rice nudged the ball away from a Brighton player attempting to launch it forward, and the Premier League later confirmed that Kavanagh decided to show the midfielder a second yellow for “delaying the restart”.

But Saka argues that the referee was inconsistent in his application of the rule, having ignored Joao Pedro doing the same thing before the break.

“We just want some consistency,” Saka said. “Joao Pedro booted the ball halfway across the pitch in the first half and got nothing for it. Dec got the slightest touch and was sent off.”

It’s certainly true that there was some inconsistency there. If you could excuse Pedro’s rule-breaking and let him off with a warning, why would Rice not be afforded the same luxury?

More than that, Rice will feel particularly aggrieved because the Brighton player was attempting to play a moving ball. If Rice hadn’t nudged the ball, the play should have been brought back anyway. So in any real sense, he didn’t delay the restart.

Brighton took advantage of their extra man to score an equalising goal, though they were unable to turn one point into three in the remainder of their 40 minutes with an extra man.

Rice will now serve a one-game suspension, missing the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur after the international break.