Midfielder Declan Rice was sent off early in the second half, leading to Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Brighton in the third round of the Premier League.
At home, Arsenal dominated the game and opened the scoring late in the first half thanks to Kai Havertz. The German forward latched onto a pass from Bukayo Saka after the England international capitalized on a lapse from veteran center-back Lewis Dunk to intercept what seemed like a harmless long pass from Jurrien Timber.
Havertz chipped the ball over Verbruggen, opening the score for Arsenal. Photo: Reuters
Brighton was one of three teams to win both opening matches of the 2024-2025 Premier League season, alongside Arsenal and Man City. However, Fabian Hurzeler’s side would have found it difficult to break through the league’s strongest defense from last season if not for a turning point early in the second half.
After committing a foul on Joel Veltman, Declan Rice turned to argue with referee Chris Kavanagh. At that moment, Veltman pushed the ball past Rice to take a quick free kick. The Arsenal midfielder kicked the ball away and took a full hit from Veltman on his shin. Rice held his leg in pain but was booked for obstructing the free kick. This was Rice’s second yellow card; he had already been cautioned once in the first half, also after a foul on Veltman.
Arsenal, naturally, were unhappy with Kavanagh. The referee was jeered by the crowd. The home players surrounded Kavanagh to argue, but they couldn’t change the decision. Rice trudged off the field, walking along the touchline and into the tunnel without greeting Mikel Arteta, who also reacted furiously to the red card given to his player. While this was a contentious decision, the reality is that Arsenal has received 16 red cards since Mikel Arteta’s first game in charge in December 2019, at least three more than any other team in the Premier League.
Declan Rice and Arsenal players argue with referee Chris Kavanagh. Photo: Reuters
Brighton might not have been a match for Arsenal at the Emirates, but with a man advantage and the freedom to attack, Hurzeler’s team showed their tactical versatility. Ten minutes after Rice’s red card, Dunk threaded a through ball from his half for Yankuba Minteh to break the offside trap and go one-on-one with David Raya. Although he couldn’t beat the Arsenal goalkeeper, the $40 million Brighton signing’s shot created an opportunity for Joao Pedro to pounce and equalize for the Seagulls.
Despite being under pressure, Arsenal still had chances to regain the lead. From a clearance by center-back Gabriel, Havertz outmuscled Jan Paul van Hecke but saw his low shot saved by Bart Verbruggen’s foot. In another counterattack, Havertz drove down the right flank before crossing to Saka, who stretched to shoot but was again denied by Verbruggen.
Joao Pedro scores on a rebound to equalize for Brighton early in the second half. Photo: Reuters
As for Brighton, coach Hurzeler made his intention to secure all three points clear. He used all five substitutions to refresh his attack, continuously urging his players to press forward. However, Arsenal’s defense remained disciplined and resolute, holding on for a point. After narrowly escaping several counter-attacks, Brighton also avoided pushing their formation too high.
This was the first time Arsenal failed to win after leading at halftime in the Premier League since a 2-2 draw with West Ham in April 2023. Since then, the Gunners have won 22 consecutive games when leading at the half.
Although the season is still young, this home slip-up puts Arsenal behind in the race against their main rival, Man City, who will visit West Ham this round. In the next round, the Gunners will face North London rivals Tottenham away on the evening of September 15/9.
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