Arsenal's Declan Rice reacts with surprise to "harsh" red card in draw against Brighton.

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice admitted he was "shocked" after being sent off in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion. The Gunners led 1-0 at halftime thanks to Kai Havertz's well-placed lob. However, the Emirates Stadium was stunned when Rice received a red card early in the second half.

Rice, who had already been booked, was shown a second yellow in the 49th minute following a contentious incident. After fouling Brighton’s Joel Veltman, Rice flicked the ball away from Veltman’s attempted restart, leading to his dismissal for delaying play, despite the Arsenal players and fans protesting.

Speaking to Arsenal’s media, Rice described the red card as "harsh" and expressed his surprise. He apologized to his teammates and fans, acknowledging it was his first career red card. Rice will miss the North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on September 15 due to this suspension.