Referee uncomfortable with Rice’s red card decision in Brighton draw
Referee Chris Kavanagh admitted he “didn’t like” the decision to send off Declan Rice during Arsenal’s draw with Brighton last month but stated he “had no choice.”
Rice was shown a second yellow card in the 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium for delaying Joel Veltman from taking a free-kick by nudging the ball away.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed his shock at the decision, saying he was “amazed, amazed, amazed” immediately after the match.
Audio from the Premier League’s latest episode of *Mic’d Up*, released on Tuesday night, revealed Kavanagh explaining that he had no option but to issue the England midfielder a second yellow.
“I don’t like it, but he’s knocked the ball,” said Kavanagh.
“Second yellow, for me. I had no choice, he knocks the ball away. As [Veltman’s] about to kick it, he knocks the ball.
“I have no choice. He’s put me in an awful position. Dec, you need to go I’m afraid.”
The decision, supported by the Key Match Incidents panel, was also backed by Howard Webb, chief operation officer of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).
“He’s clearly seen Declan Rice commit a foul, then kick the ball away for an opponent that was in the process of taking a free-kick,” Webb told Mic’d Up.
“We’ve messaged very clearly and strongly to the players in pre-season around the importance of not getting involved with the ball once the whistle is gone, not delaying the restart in that way.
“Once he’s seen Declan Rice deliberately, clearly kick that ball away from the position of that free-kick, then I don’t think he’s got any choice.”
In the same match, Brighton forward Joao Pedro also kicked the ball away, but received no punishment.
While Webb felt they were different scenarios, he did say Kavanagh should have booked the Seagulls’ forward.
“It sits in the same kind of book around delaying the restart. Of course, he should have been cautioned here,” said Webb.
“The officials on the field gave him too much benefit of doubt.
“They do delay Arsenal’s ability to restart. We’ve certainly messaged that back to the officials.”
Decision to rule out Ouattara goal ‘wrong’
In the latest edition of Mic’d Up, six decisions were reviewed, including Bournemouth’s disallowed late goal against Newcastle United.
Dango Ouattara’s header from a corner was ruled out at the Vitality Stadium because the ball made contact with the top of his arm.
With no clear evidence to determine if the ball struck Ouattara’s arm in a manner that constituted a handball, Webb stated that it was incorrect for video assistant referee (VAR) Tim Robinson to intervene. There was insufficient evidence to definitively prove whether or not it was a handball.
“In this situation, the ball strikes Ouattara’s shoulder, upper-arm area. It’s hard to be totally conclusive as to exactly where,” said Webb.
“The VAR looked at this and decided that, in his professional opinion, that was in the area of the arm that has to be penalised below the bottom of the armpit. That’s the important reference point. I don’t think that’s conclusive enough to intervene.
“Equally, if the goal had been disallowed by the on-field officials, I don’t think there’s evidence here to say that there’s no handball either. So again, it goes back to referee’s call. It’s an important concept. And for those factual matters you need evidence. It’s very clear that the on-field call is wrong, I don’t think we have it here.”