Arsenal appeared to be in control at the Emirates Stadium, leading 1-0 at halftime thanks to a goal from Kai Havertz. Brighton, on the other hand, struggled to make an impact in the first half, managing only 0.08 expected goals (xG) and failing to register a shot on target.
However, the game took a dramatic turn just four minutes into the second half when Arsenal’s Declan Rice received a second yellow card. Rice was booked for delaying the restart by kicking the ball away, preventing Brighton’s Joel Veltman from taking a quick free-kick.
With the advantage of having an extra player on the field, Brighton began to dominate the match and quickly found an equalizer. They continued to press Arsenal, creating multiple opportunities to score the winning goal, but were unable to convert these chances into a victory. Despite their efforts, the match ended in a draw.
After the match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed his frustration in an interview with BBC Match of the Day. He felt that his team had done enough to win the game, both when they had all 11 players and even after being reduced to 10 men. “Overall, when we played 11 v 11, we deserved to win the game, and even at 11 v 10, we deserved to win the game. We lost two points,” Arteta stated.
Arteta also criticized the refereeing, calling for greater consistency. He acknowledged that Rice’s booking was technically correct according to the rules but felt that the decision was harsh given the context. He noted that the ball was still moving when Veltman tried to take the free-kick, and pointed out that Brighton’s Joao Pedro had avoided a booking for a similar offense earlier in the match. Ironically, it was Pedro who scored Brighton’s equalizer shortly after Rice was sent off.
When asked specifically about Rice’s sending-off, Arteta expressed his disbelief. “I was amazed,” he said. He highlighted a lack of consistency, noting that similar actions by Brighton players in the first half had gone unpunished. Arteta criticized the referee’s decision to apply the rule strictly in a non-critical area of the pitch, arguing that if the referee had been consistent, Brighton should also have been reduced to 10 men, leveling the playing field.
Despite the setback, Arteta praised his team and the fans for their resilience after going down to 10 men. He noted that Arsenal still managed to create two clear chances to win the game and believed they should have capitalized on those opportunities. Overall, Arteta’s comments reflected his frustration with the officiating but also his pride in how his team responded under difficult circumstances.
