Arteta Blames Inconsistent Officiating for Arsenal Draw
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has expressed his frustration with the officiating in his team’s 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday. The Gunners were on course for a victory after taking the lead through Kai Havertz, but the game turned when Declan Rice was sent off for a second yellow card.
Arteta believes that the refereeing decisions in the match were inconsistent, particularly regarding Rice’s red card. The Arsenal boss argued that similar fouls had not been punished earlier in the game, giving him grounds to complain about the decision.
The draw leaves Arsenal with four points from their opening two Premier League matches, while Brighton has now taken four points from their first three games. Despite the disappointing result, Arteta remains optimistic about his team’s chances of success this season.
“We started the second half really good but then there is the decision that changes the game completely.”
When asked about Rice’s red card, Arteta said: “If it [bookings] happens throughout the game in a consistent way it is fine but it didn’t. It is an inconsistency.”