Arsenal is set to face a major challenge in the upcoming North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur as they will be without their star midfielder, Declan Rice.
Rice will miss the crucial fixture, scheduled for September 15, right after the international break, due to a suspension following his first-ever red card in Arsenal’s match against Brighton on Saturday.
The incident that led to Rice’s expulsion occurred in the second half of the game when he was shown a second yellow card for failing to retreat in time during a Brighton free-kick, thereby delaying the restart.
Earlier in the match, Rice had received his first yellow card for a late tackle on Brighton’s Joel Veltman.
The Premier League’s official Match Centre clarified the decision, explaining, “The referee issued a second yellow card to Declan Rice for delaying the restart.”
Rice’s suspension is a significant blow for Arsenal, as he has been a vital player in their midfield since his arrival.
His absence will be felt deeply, especially in a high-stakes match like the North London derby.
Former Premier League referee Mike Dean provided further insight into Rice’s dismissal while speaking on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday.
Dean explained that players had been warned prior to the start of the season that delaying the restart of play, such as kicking the ball away, would lead to a yellow card.
Despite Rice’s infraction being relatively minor—he only slightly moved the ball away—the referee had no choice but to issue a second yellow card, which automatically resulted in a red card and his subsequent expulsion from the match.
Dean elaborated on the situation, saying, “Unfortunately for Declan, he did kick the ball away, although not by much.
However, the players were clearly informed before the season began that delaying the restart in any form, like kicking the ball away, would result in a caution.
Since Rice was already on a yellow card, the referee had no option but to send him off.
Brighton was clever in this situation, as the defender saw an opportunity to exploit the rule, knowing full well what the consequences would be.”
Adding to Arsenal’s concerns, their manager Mikel Arteta had earlier confirmed that their new signing, Mikel Merino, sustained an injury ahead of the Brighton match.
Merino, who had been showing great potential, is now suspected of having suffered a fracture, further depleting Arsenal’s midfield resources.
Arteta shared his frustration over the situation, stating, “It’s a real setback.
Merino had a collision yesterday and ended up with a shoulder injury that will keep him out for a few weeks.
It’s really unfortunate because we were all very excited about his prospects.
He was looking very promising in training, but then he landed awkwardly with Gabi on top of him, and it appears he may have suffered a small fracture.
He was in a lot of pain, and now we have to wait for the medical team to conduct further tests to confirm the extent of the injury.”
With both Declan Rice and Mikel Merino sidelined, Arsenal will face a significant test of their squad depth as they prepare for the North London derby.
The absence of two key midfielders will undoubtedly make the challenge of maintaining their early season momentum even more difficult.
This derby is crucial for Arsenal as they aim to assert their dominance in the league and continue their strong start to the season, but they will have to do so without two of their most important players, a task that will require resilience and strategic adjustments from Mikel Arteta and his team.
