Arsenal have received the final verdict on Declan Rice's red card in the Premier League match against Brighton.

The Premier League's Key Match Incidents (KMI) panel has supported referee Chris Kavanagh’s decision to send off Declan Rice during Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Brighton, despite criticism from Arsenal’s manager and fans.

Rice received his first yellow card for a rash challenge on Joel Veltman late in the first half. Early in the second half, Rice was booked again after nudging the ball away from Veltman as he attempted to take a quick free-kick. Kavanagh’s decision to show Rice a second yellow card, despite similar unpunished actions by Brighton’s Joao Pedro earlier in the match, drew heavy criticism from Arsenal.

Following the incident, the KMI panel unanimously upheld Kavanagh's decision, stating, "Rice knows what he’s doing – it’s a gentle touch, but once the referee sees it he has no choice."

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed his frustration over the perceived inconsistency in Kavanagh’s officiating.

"I was amazed. Amazed, amazed, amazed because of how inconsistent decisions can be," Arteta said at the post-match press conference.

Former referee Mark Halsey also criticized the decision, arguing that Kavanagh’s application of the rules was excessively harsh. Halsey noted that Veltman’s free-kick would not have been allowed as the ball was rolling, and suggested that Kavanagh should have issued a warning instead of a second yellow card. He also highlighted the inconsistency, noting that Pedro’s action of delaying play earlier went unpunished: “Kavanagh went looking for trouble and he found it.”

Rice’s red card was a significant turning point as Brighton equalized shortly after Arsenal went down to 10 men. The dismissal means Rice will miss Arsenal’s crucial match against Tottenham Hotspur in the upcoming North London derby.

Along with the Gunners record buy, the North London club is likely to miss captain Martin Odegaard from the upcoming North London derby as well. The Norwegian injured his ankle during an international match earlier this week.