Premier League panel unanimously supports Declan Rice red card

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice is set to miss the Gunners’ North London Derby match versus Tottenham on Sunday receiving two yellow cards against Brighton in Matchweek 3. The English international was controversially sent off after nudging the ball away from Brighton’s Joël Veltman as he was trying to restart play.  
 
The Premier League's Independent Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel has ruled that it was not actually a controversial decision at all. The KMI unanimously agreed that referee Chris Kavanagh made the right call to send Rice off.  

“Amazing” call supported 

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta came out firing after Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Brighton in Matchweek 3. The former Barcelona player said he was “amazed” by the decision to give Rice a second yellow card.  
 
“I was amazed. Amazed, amazed, amazed because of how inconsistent decisions can be.” Arteta said, referencing an incident in the first half when Brighton’s Joao Pedro escaped a booking for booting the ball away after it went out of play.  
 
“In the first half, there are two incidents and nothing happens. Then, in a non-critical area, the ball hits Declan. He turns around, he doesn't see the player coming and he touches the ball,” Arteta continued.  
 
“By law, he can make that call, but then by law he needs to make the next call, which is a red card so we play 10 vs. 10. This is what amazed me. At this level it's amazing.” 

Panel supports decision  

Arteta was not the only one who couldn’t believe that Declan Rice was sent off against Brighton.  
 
Famous Gunners fan Piers Morgan called the decision, “was the worst red card decision in the history of professional football.” 
 
Former Spurs star Gary Lineker called the decision “another classic example of where football has lost its mind.” 
 
Despite the protests, the KMI unanimously agreed with Chris Kavanagh, the referee who sent Rice off against Brighton.  
 
The KMI panel could not have overturned Rice’s suspension. Had they disagreed with Kavanagh, all it would have done was give Gunners fans more reasons to be aggrieved by the call.  

Tottenham vs. Arsenal Preview 

Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs face off against Arsenal at 11:00 PM AEST on Sunday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The betting sites still have the Gunners as strong favourites to win this North London Derby, and with good reason.  
 
Arsenal have won three of the last four North London Derbies. Tottenham have won just once at home against the Gunners since 2021. It makes sense for soccer betting sites to back Arsenal here. Our EPL predictions are a little kinder to Spurs though.  
 
With Declan Rice suspended and Martin Odegaard out with an ankle injury he picked up playing for Norway last week, Arsenal are missing their two best midfielders. Arteta is going to have to totally shake his side to make up for their absences.  

Tottenham, meanwhile, will have a pretty much full-strength squad available, with Dominic Solanke reportedly now being ready for selection. It will be tough, but Rice and Odegaard’s absences gives Spurs a good chance of getting a result here.