Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice were at the centre of a red card controversy(Image: Julian Finney/Getty Images)

What Martin Odegaard said to Chris Kavanagh as new Declan Rice Arsenal red card footage emerges

New footage has emerged showing what the Arsenal captain had to say about Declan Rice being sent off against Brighton

18 Sep 2024, 11:00 by Lee Wilmot · football.london

The discussion over Declan Rice's red card for Arsenal against Brighton & Hove Albion just rumbles on and on. It is back in the news now after Howard Webb discussed the incident on Match Officials Mic'd Up.

There has been an international break and another round of Premier League fixtures in between the red card and now, but that has not stopped us all speaking about it once more.

To refresh everyone's memory, as if you needed it, Arsenal midfielder Rice was shown the first red card of his career when he ever so slightly kicked the ball away from Joel Veltman as the Brighton man tried to take a quick free-kick.

It was, by the letter of the law, the correct decision, giving the England man a yellow card for the incident and thus being sent off for two yellows. But it was, let's be honest, a rather soft way to be sent off.

With the incident on Match Officials Mic'd Up, we have finally got to hear what referee Chris Kavanagh said about the situation. Speaking to his VAR officials, Kavanagh says: "I have no choice, he knocks the ball away. He's put me in an awful position."

Then, with the players around him, Kavanagh explains the situation to Rice. He adds: "You did kick the ball away, you did. Dec you need to go. I don't like it but he's knocked the ball. Dec you need to go I am afraid."

Rice himself can be heard arguing the point, saying just three words to the referee: "No I didn't."

But Rice is not the only one picked up on the microphones having his say on the matter. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is obviously in the vicinity and he, like Rice, had just three words to say to Kavanagh: "It's a joke."

Joining Michael Owen on the Referees Mic'd Up show, head of the PGMOL Howard Webb says: "As you hear from Chris Kavanagh, he's clearly seen Declan Rice commit a foul, then kick the ball away from an opponent that was in the process of taking a free-kick," Webb said. "We've messaged very clearly and strongly to the players in pre-season around the importance of not getting involved with the ball once the whistle is gone, not delaying the restart in that way.

"Once he's seen Declan Rice deliberately, clearly kick that ball away from the position of that free-kick, then I don't think he's got any choice."

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