Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey has voiced strong disagreement with Chris Kavanagh’s decision to send off Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice. The incident, which occurred during the second half of the match against Brighton, has sparked significant debate among fans, pundits, and former officials.
The controversy began when Declan Rice received a second yellow card for allegedly delaying the restart of play. Rice had nudged the ball away as Brighton’s Joel Veltman attempted to take a quick free-kick. Kavanagh deemed this action as a deliberate attempt to delay the game, resulting in Rice’s dismissal.
Mark Halsey, who officiated in the Premier League for over a decade, has been vocal about his disagreement with Kavanagh’s decision. According to Halsey, the ball was not stationary when Veltman attempted the free-kick, which means the restart would not have been valid under the laws of the game. Therefore, Rice’s action should not have been considered as delaying the restart.
Kavanagh went looking for trouble and he found it.
Halsey further criticized Kavanagh for what he perceived as inconsistency in officiating. He pointed out that Brighton’s Joao Pedro was not penalized for a similar action earlier in the match, where he kicked the ball away to delay an Arsenal throw-in. This inconsistency, Halsey argues, undermines the fairness and integrity of the game.
Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s manager, and other players have expressed similar feelings. Arteta highlighted the inconsistency in Kavanagh’s decisions during his post-match press conference, emphasizing that similar actions by Brighton players went unpunished. Bukayo Saka, one of Arsenal’s key players, also called for more consistency in refereeing decisions.
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