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Arteta can rage against ‘inconsistency’ but Rice’s ban will cost Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Brighton (Havertz 38′, Rice red card 49′ | Pedro 58′)

EMIRATES STADIUM — From Raheem Sterling’s deadline day arrival to Declan Rice‘s red card against Brighton, it has been a dramatic 12 hours or so at Arsenal. Everyone connected with the club earned themselves a lie down and a quiet Sunday on the sofa.

Before the game, a feel-good factor permeated the Emirates as supporters excitedly chattered about their latest recruit and whether he can be the difference-maker in the pursuit of Manchester City. After the game, it was replaced by a mutinous mood and a burning sense of injustice that could power the numerous restaurants and pubs dotted along Holloway Road.

Meetings between Arsenal and Brighton are usually entertaining, and this promised to follow that familiar pattern with both sides taking maximum points from their opening two games. You couldn’t take your eyes off this one either, although as both managers acknowledged afterwards the entire match hinged on one mad minute shortly after half-time.

Kai Havertz and Joao Pedro scored the goals but there is really nowhere else to start than Rice’s red card.

There surely can’t be many worse ways to be sent off than by getting volleyed into the air at the same time. When Joel Veltman scythed Rice down as the Dutchman “attempted” to take a free-kick, it sparked a collective head-loss as both sets of players steamed over to the corner to remonstrate theatrically with each other.

Expectation enveloped the Emirates. Something was certain to happen, but nobody was quite sure what. Few inside the ground predicted Rice rather than Veltman getting sent for an early shower by Chris Kavanagh.

Row by row Arsenal fans turned towards one another, arms outstretched in baffled bemusement, mouthing “What?”

Rice is as sensible as they come but it was an avoidable sending off.

The first yellow was crystal clear, an uncharacteristically wild lunge on Veltman that incensed Fabian Hurzeler. The second was more contentious, although technically correct given the updated directive from the PGMOL to its officials to issue cautions for intentionally delaying restarts.

Rice needlessly nudged the ball away as Veltman prepared to launch it forward and ended up nursing a sore ankle. It was the first red card of his senior career in his 360th game and a costly one too. He will now miss the north London derby on 15 September, along with fellow midfielder Mikel Merino who lucklessly injured his shoulder in his first training session.

“I was amazed because of how inconsistent decisions can be. In the first half, there are two incidents and nothing happens,” Arteta said.

“By law, he can make that call, but then by law he needs to make the next call, which is a red card [for Veltman for dangerous play] so we play 10 vs 10. This is what amazed me. At this level it’s amazing.”

Much happened before and after that incident. Arsenal produced a whirlwind start. Jack Hinshelwood, the teenage midfielder pressed into duty as a makeshift left-back, was caught in the vortex against Bukayo Saka’s blurring limbs. Martin Odegaard missed a golden chance to score from a Leandro Trossard cross, for once his technique deserting him on the volley.

Brighton weathered the storm and began to inch higher up the pitch. As is often the way, it was just when they started to make headway that they conceded the opening goal.

Lewis Dunk should have dealt easily with Jurrien Timber’s up and under but was inexplicably bumped under the ball by Saka, who then nudged the ball into Havertz’s path behind the Seagulls’ defence. Havertz made no mistake with the lob over Bart Verbruggen, scoring his seventh goal in his last eight Premier League games at the Emirates.

Then came the tide-turning moment. Brighton sensed a momentum shift and duly equalised nine minutes later through Joao Pedro.

Dunk atoned for his error with a defence-splitting pass and Yankuba Minteh capitalised upon a moment’s indecision from Gabriel Magalhaes to get his shot away. David Raya made the save but Pedro was on hand to tap in the rebound.

Chances came and went as chaos reigned. Arteta brought on Riccardo Calafiori for Trossard and set Arsenal up to counter in a 5-3-1 configuration. Brighton had opportunities to win it but so did Arsenal, with Saka and Havertz wreaking havoc on the counter. The final 20 minutes were pure, unadulterated Premier League carnage.

Arteta was proud of his players after the game. “The referee makes a decision that changes the course of the game and still like this with 10 men, the team reacts unbelievably well, the stadium reacts unbelievably well and probably we should have won the game.”

They probably would have won with a full team out. Instead, they dropped two points ahead of a pivotal period with away fixtures at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Etihad to follow the international break. In a league of fine margins, they can ill-afford too many more slip-ups.

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