Match ReportDaily Mail FootballUnverified source· 19 Sept 2026
Rice escapes red as Arsenal thumped by Brighton
Arsenal's unbeaten start ended in a 3-0 defeat at Brighton, but it was Declan Rice's kick out that stole the spotlight.
Brighton— – —
NS · Premier League
ArsenalCompetition
Premier League
Score
Brighton 3-0 Arsenal
Scorers
Pascal Gross, Charalampos Kostoulas, Chema Andres
Venue
AMEX
What happened. Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the season, losing 3-0 at Brighton. Late on, Declan Rice kicked out at Malick Yalcouye after being shoved, but was only booked.
- VAR checked the incident and cleared it, ruling it did not meet the threshold for violent conduct.
- Rice would have faced a three-game ban, missing Leeds, Nottingham Forest and Everton.
- Ex-referee Keith Hackett believes Rice should have been sent off.
“It should have been RED”
— Keith Hackett
Arsenal will be relieved Rice avoided a ban, but the champions' first league loss since clinching the title raises questions.
Read the full story at Daily Mail Football →
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Ex-PGMOL Chief Casts Verdict on Declan Rice’s ‘Violent Action’ vs Brighton
