"The delaying a restart does not apply" - Former Premier League referee comments on Declan Rice red card during Arsenal vs Brighton

Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey believes Chris Kavanagh wrongly sent off Declan Rice in the second half of Arsenal’s league match against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday (August 31). Halsey pointed out that the ball was not in a stationary position when Rice kicked it, so he wasn't guilty of delaying the restart.

Rice was shown a second yellow card in the 49th minute for delaying a restart after initially being yellow carded in the 42nd minute for fouling Joel Veltman.

The red-card incident occurred when Rice nudged the ball slightly out of the path of Joel Veltman, who was preparing to take a free-kick. Despite the seemingly minor infraction, referee Chris Kavanagh deemed it worthy of a yellow card, leading to Rice's dismissal and leaving Arsenal with ten men.

Mark Halsey, however, disagreed with Kavanagh's decision in his column for The Sun. Halsey argued that Kavanagh's interpretation of the situation was incorrect, stating:

"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. Therefore, the delaying a restart does not apply."

Halsey was critical of Kavanagh’s overall management of the situation, suggesting that the referee escalated the incident unnecessarily. He added:

"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.’"

Halsey also echoed the frustration expressed by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta regarding the inconsistency of refereeing decisions during the match.

"Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had a valid point when he highlighted Kavanagh’s inconsistency. Kavanagh acted on Rice but why didn’t he punish Joao Pedro for booting the ball downfield? Or even Bukayo Saka, who committed a worse offence than Rice by throwing the ball away in injury time after Brighton won a free-kick. It’s the inconsistency from our officials that really annoys managers, players and fans," he said.

Apart from Halsey and Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka also lamented the inconsistency from Kavanagh in the match.

Declan Rice says he didn’t deserve his red card

Following Saturday's setback, Declan Rice took to Instagram to reflect on the situation and address Arsenal fans. The England international felt he didn't deserve the red card, but said it was one he would learn from. He said:

"Disappointed. Didn’t feel it deserved a second yellow card but will learn and be better for it. Proud of the boys regardless & thank you for the amazing support Gunners."

As a result of the red card, Declan Rice will miss Arsenal’s north London derby in the Premier League against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, September 15.