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Arsenal's star man Bukayo Saka pointed out the inconsistencies of referee Chris Kavanagh in the draw against Brighton.
Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka has been critical of the refereeing in their 1-1 draw against Brighton at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal 1-1 Brighton
The Gunners had a blistering start to the match but had to wait until the 38th minute to find the opener when Saka exploited a Lewis Dunk error to release Kai Havertz, who effortlessly lobbed Bart Verbruggen.
Mikel Arteta's side controlled the game for the rest of the entirety of the first-half, but the tides turned at the start of the second, when Declan Rice received a second yellow card for ‘delaying restart' and was consequently sent off.
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17:27 - 31.08.2024
Arsenal's Mikel Arteta blames referee for disappointing result against Brighton
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was critical of the refereeing in their draw against Brighton.
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14:30 - 31.08.2024
Saka breaks 20-year Henry record, Rice sent off as Brighton hold Arsenal to draw
The Gunners were held at home by Brighton as Declan Rice received a controversial red card
Brighton capitalised and found an equaliser just before the hour mark thanks to a Joao Pedro strike. Fabian Hurzeler's men managed to control proceedings from that point on, and Arsenal dropped points at the Emirates for the first time this season.
What Bukayo said
A disgruntled Saka, speaking after the match, pointed out some inconsistencies in the match. Chris Kavanagh. He believes the decision to send Rice off was harsh, but admitted they should still have won the game, as they had the chance to do so.
"I thought it was a bit harsh for us,” Saka said on MOTD, per the BBC. “We just want some consistency. Joao Pedro booted the ball halfway across the pitch in the first half and got nothing for it and Dec got the slightest touch and was sent off.
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"It is what it is; I don't want to put the whole game on the referee as we still had chances to win it. It has been a good start. Today is a disappointment but it is a long season."
Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta echoed similar sentiments. He also blamed the referee in his post-match press conference.
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