‘Worst red card ever’: Piers Morgan erupts as star sent packing
Veteran broadcaster Piers Morgan led a chorus of backlash after an Arsenal star was sent off following an innocuous act on Sunday.
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Declan Rice was left gobsmacked after being controversially sent off in Arsenal’s clash with Brighton.
The England international star was booked in the first half for a wild lunge, The Sun reports.
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An act of petulance just minutes after the restart saw referee Chris Kavanagh send him for an early shower.
Rice was shown a second yellow for kicking the ball away after Brighton were awarded a free kick in their half in the 49th minute.
He poked the ball with his foot a split second before Joel Veltman went to kick it up the park, with the Brighton player instead making contact with the Arsenal player’s shin.
Rice went down in agony and expected the Dutch defender to be given a yellow when he rose to his feet.
But Kavanagh stunned the Emirates faithful, and Rice, by opting to show the midfielder a second booking.
The former West Ham skipper couldn’t believe it and was left speechless. He wasn’t the only one baffled by Kavanagh’s decision.
One Gunners fan wrote on X: “Joao Pedro kicks the ball away the first half and no yellow.
“Rice gets sent off for the same offense after being on the receiving end of violent conduct.”
Another said: “How does Declan Rice get a red card for getting kicked????”
Arsenal superfan and broadcast veteran Piers Morgan was left fuming over the decision to send Rice on his way.
“What the f*ck was that?” he wrote on X.
“Declan Rice sent off for being kicked to pieces? Worst red card decision I’ve ever seen.”
Long after the incident and the match had come to an end, Morgan’s frustration was still at boiling point.
“Still absolutely fuming about this ... Declan Rice sent off for being brutally kicked from behind,” he wrote.
“Not an exaggeration to say this was the worst red card decision in the history of professional football.”
Things went from bad to worse for the Gunners nine minutes later when Pedro levelled the scores with a tap-in inside the 18-yard box.
The second half proved to be a pulsating one, although neither side was able to find a winner and the score remained 1-1.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta commented on the consistency of officiating in the game.
“The decision changes the game completely,” he said.
“If it happens throughout the game in a consistent way then that’s fine but it didn’t happen.
“In the first half there were a number of occasions where they kicked the ball away and nothing happened. It’s inconsistency.
“Especially because it’s in an area that’s not critical. You made that call then you have to give a red card.
“We had to play with 10. If we had to play with 10 then they had to play with 10 because it’s a red card for Veltman.”
When pressed on whether he had been given an explanation for Rice’s sending off, he added: “No, none - like always.”
Premier League scores
Arsenal drew with Brighton 1-1
Nottingham Forest drew with Wolves 1-1
Aston Villa def. Leicester City 2-1
Fulham drew with Ipswich Town 1-1
Brentford def. Southampton 3-1
Bournemouth def. Everton 3-2
Manchester City def. West Ham 3-1
This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission.
Originally published as ‘Worst red card ever’: Piers Morgan erupts as star sent packing
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