BREAKING NEWS: The Premier League has officially admitted to the terrible VAR mistake made by the referee during the Arsenal vs. Brighton match

In a contentious moment during Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Brighton, Declan Rice was sent off for “delaying a restart,” a decision that has sparked considerable debate. Rice, who had previously been booked, received a second yellow card after a brief altercation with Brighton’s Joel Veltman, resulting in his dismissal.

The incident occurred when Rice lightly touched the ball while preparing for a free kick, following a clash with Veltman. Veltman had kicked Rice after the ball was touched, which Rice viewed as retaliatory, particularly since the two players had clashed earlier, leaving Veltman on the ground.

The referee, however, interpreted the situation as Veltman attempting to restart the game quickly and believed that Rice’s action caused a delay. This decision aligns with the new Premier League rules for the 2024/25 season, which stipulate that any deliberate attempt to delay the restart of play will result in a yellow card. As the rules are designed to maintain game flow, the decision to send off Rice was upheld by VAR, despite Arsenal’s protests.

The Premier League’s official guidelines state that while technical staff can be sent off for delaying restarts, players are typically issued yellow cards. This strict enforcement aims to prevent disruptions in play.

The decision has been met with confusion and frustration from fans and commentators alike. Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist, who were commentating for TNT Sports, expressed their bewilderment, with McCoist questioning what else Rice could have done and suggesting that Veltman’s actions deserved closer scrutiny.

Following Rice’s dismissal, Brighton took advantage, with João Pedro scoring nine minutes later to equalize the match after Kai Havertz had given Arsenal the lead. The game ended 1-1, leaving both teams unbeaten as the Premier League season progresses.