Ian Wright criticizes Arsenal player for not putting in enough effort during their draw against Brighton.

After a disappointing 1-1 draw against Brighton, Arsenal's former player Ian Wright expressed his dissatisfaction with the team's defensive performance. Wright was particularly unimpressed with the defending that led to Brighton's equalizing goal. Despite Arsenal taking an early lead through a confident goal from Kai Havertz, the momentum shifted after Declan Rice's controversial sending off, ultimately resulting in a draw.

Brighton's Joao Pedro took advantage of a precise pass from Lewis Dunk, catching out Arsenal's central defender and creating an opportunity for Yankuba Minteh. Although David Raya managed to save Minteh's shot, Pedro was quick to capitalize on the rebound. Wright, commenting on the match, pointed out that Arsenal's Thomas Partey had allowed Pedro to easily sprint past him, much to his annoyance. In Wright's opinion, Partey should have recognized the danger and made a challenge to prevent the goal.

Wright also suggested that more pressure could have been put on Brighton's Lewis Dunk to cut off his angle and that Partey should have provided cover for Pedro. According to the Arsenal legend, these are the small things that could have been avoided and could have potentially changed the outcome of the match.

Meanwhile, Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta was also left baffled by the decision of referee Chris Kavanagh to show Rice a red card. Rice's second yellow card was given after he subtly kicked away the ball from a Brighton free-kick, causing a delay in the restart of the game. Arteta believed that the decision had a significant impact on the game and was amazed by the inconsistency in the referee's calls.

Arteta also pointed out an incident in the 18th minute where Brighton's Joel Veltman caught Rice in his follow-through, but no caution was given. He suggested that if Kavanagh had followed the rules, then Pedro, who was later cautioned, should have also received a yellow card for kicking the ball away after it went out for a throw.

In Arteta's view, the referee's inconsistent decisions had a huge impact on the game and he was amazed at the level of inconsistency at this level of football. He also emphasized that the team had to play with 10 men due to the red card, which could have been avoided if the referee had followed the rules correctly.

Overall, it was a disappointing result for Arsenal, with both Wright and Arteta pointing out key moments that could have potentially changed the outcome of the game. It was a frustrating match for the team, but they will have to regroup and focus on their upcoming games.

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