Ex-Tottenham star defends Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice after controversial red card

Declan Rice has received defence from an unlikely source following his red card in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Brighton on Saturday.

The Gunners looked to be cruising at the Emirates, going in 1-0 up at half-time thanks to a Kai Havertz strike, while Brighton had managed just 0.08 xG and zero shots on target in the first half.

However, the game turned just four minutes into the second half when Rice was shown a second yellow card for delaying the restart by kicking the ball away to stop Joel Veltman taking a free-kick.

Although a booking by the strict letter of the law, it’s important to point out the ball was still moving at the point Veltman tried to kick it.

Many Arsenal fans also pointed out that Joao Pedro — scorer of Brighton’s equaliser — avoided a booking for an even more obvious offence of the same nature in the first half.

Ex-Tottenham midfielder defends Declan Rice after red card

The incident has sparked fierce debate on social media and among pundits.

But Rice has received defence from a rather unexpected source, with Jamie O’Hara — who featured 56 times for Arsenal’s arch-rivals Tottenham during his playing career — labelling the red card ‘harsh’ and accusing referee Chris Kavanagh of lacking ‘common sense’.

“For me personally, I think it’s harsh. Joao Pedro kicks one away and doesn’t get booked for it,” O’Hara told talkSPORT.

“Declan Rice then gets a yellow for that. If he goes and kicks it into the advertising boardings or picks it up and runs away and then throws it away. Then fine.

“But he taps it a yard. Come on. Where’s the common sense?”

In the midst of a back-and-forth with talkSPORT co-host Jason Cundy — who believes the referee made the correct decision and accused Rice of ‘petulance’ — O’Hara added: “Where’s the common sense rule of a referee? Where you go ‘I can’t send him off for that’.

“Even if it’s a first yellow, you go, Dec, I’m going to give you a booking because you’re stupid. But to send him off, I think that’s really harsh.

“And I love to see Arsenal’s pain, but I think that is undeserving of a red card.”

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