Declan Rice will miss Arsenal’s trip to North London rivals Tottenham this weekend due to a red card he received last time out against Brighton and the player involved, Joël Veltman, has stated that he believes the England star’s dismissal was “quite harsh”.
With Mikel Arteta’s team 1-0 ahead at the Emirates Stadium, Rice received a second yellow at the beginning of the second half for knocking the ball away as Veltman was about to take a quick free-kick.
Arsenal fans expected the Brighton star to be punished but instead, the referee produced a second yellow for Rice, which means he will miss the North London derby on Sunday.
Speaking about the incident to Sky Sports, Veltman has labelled the booking as “quite harsh” and admits he was surprised to see the midfielder receive his marching orders.
“I didn’t want to kick him, he just kicked it [the ball] away and I kicked him,” the Brighton star said. “I find it quite harsh [the second yellow card], you see my reaction when you look at it back. I was not going to the ref asking for a second yellow.”
Watch: Brighton’s Joël Veltman believes Declan Rice’s red card was “quite harsh”
?? "I find it quite harsh"
Joël Veltman on Declan Rice's red card, meaning the Arsenal midfielder will miss the North London Derby due to suspension ? pic.twitter.com/gd3oXdmEoi
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 10, 2024