Referee didn't like Rice red card in Brighton draw

Arbitrator Chris Kavanagh said he "could have done without" the choice to ship off Declan Rice in Armory's draw with Brighton last month, yet said he "had no way out".

Rice was shipped off during the 1-1 draw at the Emirates Arena briefly yellow card in the wake of bumping the ball away from Joel Veltman as he arranged to take a free-kick.

Arms stockpile director Mikel Arteta said he was "flabbergasted, stunned, astounded" at the choice following the match.

Sound set on Tuesday night free from the Chief Association's most recent episode of Mic'd Up uncovered Kavanagh said he had no real option except to show the Britain midfielder a subsequent booking.

 Kavanagh said "I could do without it, yet he's thumped the ball,".

"Second yellow, for me. I had no way out, he thumps the ball away. As Veltman's going to kick it, he thumps the ball.

"I must choose between limited options. He's set me in a terrible position. Dec, you want to go I'm apprehensive."

The choice, upheld by the Key Match Occurrences board, was additionally supported by Howard Webb, boss activity official of the Expert Game Match Authorities Restricted PGMOL.

"He's plainly seen Declan Rice commit a foul, then kick the ball away for a rival that was currently taking a free-kick," Webb told Mic'd Up.

"We've informed obviously and emphatically to the players in pre-season around the significance of not engaging with the ball once the whistle is gone, not deferring the restart in like that.

"Whenever he's seen Declan Rice purposely, obviously kick that ball away from the place of that free-kick, then I don't believe he has any decision."

In a similar match, Brighton forward Joao Pedro likewise kicked the ball away, yet got no discipline.

While Webb felt they were various situations, he said Kavanagh ought to have booked the Seagulls' forward.

 Webb said "It sits in a similar sort of book around deferring the restart. Obviously, he ought to have been forewarned here,".

"The authorities on the field gave him a lot of advantage of uncertainty.

"They in all actuality do defer Munititions stockpile's capacity to restart. We've absolutely informed that back to the authorities."