Former referee Dermot Gallagher has backed the decision not to send off Declan Rice in Arsenal’s defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion at the weekend.
Arsenal had a bad day in Brighton on Saturday, losing 3-0 for their first dropped points of the new Premier League campaign.
But the afternoon could have been even worse, with calls for Declan Rice to be dismissed for a kick on Brighton and Hove Albion substitute Malick Yalcouye.
Rice received a yellow card, but fans of Arsenal’s rivals felt it should have been a dismissal.
Yet it seems the prospect of any retrospective action is non-existent, with former referee Dermot Gallagher telling Sky Sports that the decision was the correct one to begin with.
“I think it’s petulant,” Gallagher said. “[For a red card] it’s got to be deemed violent conduct, it’s got to be deemed brutal or malicious. Is that brutal or malicious? I think not.
“He runs the risk, there’s no doubt about that. If he runs the risk and gets caught and the referee decides that it is brutal or malicious and sends him off, you know, that’s the risk he took.
“But for me, that’s not an act of violence. It’s almost like he puts his foot into him, he doesn’t follow through. Very unwise thing to do, but I think the referee got it right.”
A suspension would have been very bad news for Arsenal, as it would have seen Rice banned for at least three matches. The Gunners’ next three domestic games are against Leeds United (H), Nottingham Forest (A), and Everton (H).
The proposed ban would have felt even worse given the timing, with club football going on a long break for internationals over the next fortnight. A three-game Premier League suspension would have meant no league appearances for Rice until November!
With Rice pulling out of the international break, he’ll be glad he won’t have that hanging over his head for the next month and a bit.
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