New footage of Declan Rice’s contentious red card during the match against Brighton has emerged, leaving fans perplexed as never before as to why the England player was punished. Rice was sent off for a second yellow card, accused of delaying a rapid free kick by knocking the ball off the pitch.
The situation escalated when Joel Veltman, ostensibly attempting to advance play, violently pursued Rice, leaving him sprawled on the ground. Referee Chris Kavanagh ordered the Arsenal player off, but a fresh camera view has gone viral, adding to the confusion. Arsenal’s ‘Access All Areas’ film of the match showed that the ball actually hit Rice before he diverted it, meaning that he was only moving it out Of his route. When watched in slow motion, the footage shows Veltman extending his arms to the referee while making contact with Rice, implying that the Brighton player had ulterior objectives.
As Veltman’s actions are scrutinized, it becomes evident that the ball was virtually out of play when he made contact, raising questions about whether his challenge was deliberate rather than a genuine attempt to play the ball.
Micah Richards Responds to Rice’s Red Card.
On the ‘Rest is Football’ podcast, Micah Richards, a former Manchester City defender, slammed the judgment as one of the worst he’d ever seen. Richards argued that Veltman’s actions were inconsistent with someone truly attempting to take a quick free kick, and he questioned the rationale of handing Rice a second yellow card.
Rice will miss the key north London derby against Tottenham on September 15, as Arsenal are unable to appeal. The latest film will only heighten Mikel Arteta’s and Arsenal fans’ sense of unfairness.
The average referee could not recognise
a foul if he fell over it