Paul Scholes delivers verdict on the Declan Rice red card incident against Brighton

Arsenal’s 3-0 defeat at Brighton was painful enough without the controversy that followed in the final moments.

With the game having long been out of reach for the Gunners, Declan Rice lost his cool after Brighton’s Malick Yalcouye left a nudge in on him after closing him down. In a moment of frustration, Rice turned and reacted with what looked like a kick, bringing immediate howls from the home support. The referee showed a yellow card, but home fans wanted a red.

Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg told Arsenal Insider that Rice should have been sent off, describing it as “a premeditated act” with “clear malice” and arguing that VAR should have recommended a review. He also confirmed that, with VAR in operation, a retrospective ban is effectively off the table.

Now Paul Scholes has weighed in, and he is equally sure it should’ve been a red.

Paul Scholes thinks Declan Rice should have been sent off against Brighton

When asked what he thought of the incident on The Good, The Bad & The Football, Scholes, who has accused Rice of being too emotional before, made his feelings clear.

“What? Volleying the kid? It’s a sending off,” he said. “How can VAR not see that? I know he got a yellow card anyway, but it can be upgraded to a red. He’s just booted the lad.”

This has been quite a contentious one but is it really as serious as some are making out? Rice essentially trips Yalcouye, albeit aggressively. But it’s not a violent or dangerous kick. Just petulance.

There’s been comparisons drawn to Phil Foden’s sending off at Old Trafford the weekend prior, but they’re completely different. Foden kicked out on Bruno Fernandes with his studs, which surely is an entirely different level of intent.

Either way, Rice got a yellow and will be available for Leeds on October 10. But Arsenal got thumped at Brighton, and they’ll need a much better performance against a Leeds side who haven’t lost a game yet.