August 31st 2024.
During the recent match between Arsenal and Brighton, midfielder Declan Rice received two yellow cards and was ultimately sent off, causing him to miss the upcoming north London derby against Tottenham. The first booking came in the first half when Rice made a strong challenge on Joel Veltman as they both went for a loose ball near the halfway line. Then, in a bizarre turn of events, the same Brighton player was involved in the second yellow card incident.
Rice was called for a foul near the corner flag and in an attempt to delay the free kick, he lightly touched the ball as Veltman tried to take it quickly. However, Veltman's leg made contact with Rice's back just as he knocked the ball away, resulting in Rice being shown a second yellow card by referee Chris Kavanagh. This was the first time in his career that Rice had been sent off and as a result, he will have to serve a one-match suspension, missing the highly-anticipated Tottenham game after the international break on September 15th.
The decision left Rice and his teammates bewildered, as they believed Veltman should have been the one to receive a card. Despite Arsenal taking the lead in the first half with an impressive goal from Kai Havertz, Brighton equalized less than 10 minutes after Rice's red card with a goal from Joao Pedro. The absence of Rice in the north London derby will also be compounded by the fact that new signing Mikel Merino will also be unavailable.
Merino, who recently joined Arsenal in the summer transfer window, suffered a fractured shoulder during his first training session with the club. He was seen watching the match with his arm in a sling. This unfortunate injury adds to the team's woes, as they will now have to face Tottenham without two key players. But, despite these setbacks, Arsenal remains determined to come out strong and secure a victory in the derby.
For the latest news, exclusives, and analysis on Arsenal, sign up for updates and rest assured that your privacy will be protected by our Privacy Policy, which is in compliance with reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Thank you for your support!
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]