Arsenal held to frustrating draw with Brighton as Declan Rice sees red

Brighton held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium, ending Arsenal’s promising start to the season.

Declan Rice received a controversial red card in the 49th minute, his first in 245 Premier League appearances, marring the game.

Bukayo Saka had provided the assist for Kai Havertz’s opener in the 38th minute, but Joao Pedro equalized for Brighton just seven minutes after Rice’s dismissal.

Despite being a man down, Arsenal struggled to regain control, with Brighton dominating possession (63.7%)—the most by any away team at the Emirates since Manchester City in January 2022.

Post-match, Saka expressed frustration, saying, “We should have finished it in the first half. Brighton is a good team; we gave it our all.” He also questioned the consistency of the referee’s decision, stating, “The red card definitely affected us.”

The draw leaves Arsenal with a sense of disappointment, while Brighton will be pleased with their resilient performance.