Why Declan Rice avoided red card for 'petulant' Malick Yalcouye foul in Brighton 3-0 Arsenal

By Ben Knapton | 20 Sep 2026 07:35, Last updated: 20 Sep 2026 07:42

The Premier League person reportedly explained wherefore Declan Rice avoided a reddish paper for an evident swipe astatine Malick Junior Yalcouye successful Arsenal's 3-0 nonaccomplishment to Brighton & Hove Albion connected Saturday.

The reigning champions suffered their archetypal decision of the play successful humbling circumstances astatine the Amex, wherever Pascal Gross, Charalampos Kostoulas and Chema Andres propelled Brighton to a thoroughly-deserved win.

Arsenal struggled to header with Brighton's property and strength passim the contest, portion besides failing to adjacent down Gross and Kostoulas for the duo's efforts from extracurricular the box.

Rice started alongside caller signing Bruno Guimaraes for the archetypal clip successful the Premier League, but their pairing proved unsuccessful, and the erstwhile was progressive successful a arguable off-ball incidental successful the dying embers.

With 97 minutes connected the clock, Brighton's Yalcouye chased Rice down and gave the Englishman a nudge arsenic helium released the ball, which the Arsenal midfielder responded to by bringing down the 20-year-old.

Brighton 3-0 Arsenal: Premier League explicate wherefore Declan Rice was not sent off

Referee Darren England deemed Rice's foul yellow-card worthy, though immoderate questioned whether the 27-year-old's offence warranted a consecutive reddish paper instead.

However, the VAR country agreed with England's yellow-card decision, and according to talkSPORT, the Premier League did not judge that Rice's foul amounted to convulsive conduct.

Instead, the officials simply believed that Rice's actions were 'petulant' alternatively than dangerous, and the erstwhile West Ham United antheral volition beryllium disposable for Arsenal instantly aft the planetary break.

Had Rice been made to instrumentality the locomotion of shame, the 27-year-old would person been unavailable for Arsenal's adjacent 3 Premier League fixtures against Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Everton successful October.

Rice volition present nexus up with the England squad for the extended planetary break, which sees the Three Lions instrumentality connected Spain, Czechia (twice) and Croatia successful League A Group 3.

Brighton 3-0 Arsenal: Alan Shearer agrees with Declan Rice reddish paper decision

The Rice reddish paper incidental was discussed by the Match of the Day panel, and the Premier League's all-time starring scorer Alan Shearer agreed with England's call.

"This was vexation from Declan Rice," Shearer said. "Yalcouye gives him a small nudge there, and I bash deliberation the referee gets that right.

"He gives him the yellowish card, I don't deliberation it was excessively aggressive. He didn't lash retired astatine him. Therefore, I deliberation the referee got that right."

While Rice's red-card flight was a insignificant affirmative for Arsenal connected the South Coast, the Gunners were accused of lacking "respect" by Mikel Arteta aft suffering a three-year first.

Arsenal's 3-0 nonaccomplishment marked the archetypal clip since May 2023 that the Gunners had been beaten successful a Premier League crippled by 3 goals oregon much - coincidentally different 3-0 reverse to the Seagulls astatine home.