Declan Rice faces heavy criticism following the defeat to Brighton!

During the match that ended in a 3–0 victory for Brighton over Arsenal, a controversial clip of Arsenal player Declan Rice circulated, sparking widespread debate on social media.

The tone was set right from the opening period. Pascal Gross and Charalampos Kostoulas struck with near-identical long-range finishes, handing Brighton a commanding 2-0 cushion going into the interval.

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Arsenal supporters would surely have anticipated a response after the restart — but instead, it was the home side who kept their foot on the gas, Chema Andres rising to head home a third around the midway point of the second half.

Declan Rice sparks widespread controversy

Yet it was the closing moment of the match that sparked the greatest controversy. Rice appeared to lash out at Brighton's Malick Yalcouye in an off-the-ball incident. What had begun as a harmless tussle escalated when, as Yalcouye was passing by, the English midfielder deliberately went out of his way to aim a kick at the Brighton star.

The referee did spot the incident, but in a decision that left many baffled, he produced only a yellow card. The full-time whistle sounded immediately afterwards, and the video assistant referee chose not to intervene.

Hazem Mlhem |

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Hazem Mlhem est un rédacteur sportif expérimenté, animé par une passion pour le football africain.

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