The controversial moment started when Rice was given a red card by Kavanagh for allegedly moving the ball away from Brighton’s Joel Veltman in order to delay a restart.
Halsey contends that the ruling was made inconsistently during the game and was wrong in accordance with the rules.
According to Halsey, the restart would not have been permitted by the Laws of the Game because the ball was already moving when Veltman attempted to take the free-kick. Consequently, he feels that Rice should not have been subjected to the regulation about postponing a restart in this particular circumstance. “Kavanagh was searching for conflict and discovered it,” Halsey stated in his Sun column.
“A player should not be sent off for this by a referee with his level of experience.” Halsey says Kavanagh ought to have talked to both players about the situation instead of showing them the red card.
In his proposal, he suggests that Veltman, who got away with kicking Rice, ought to have been given a similar warning to Rice for flicking the ball away.
Halsey agrees with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s criticism of Kavanagh’s inconsistent play, which was repeated by other players, following the game.
Arteta expressed dissatisfaction with Kavanagh’s decision-making, pointing out that if the referee was applying the rules to Rice, he ought to have done so with Brighton’s Joao Pedro earlier in the game.
Pedro attempted to stop an Arsenal throw-in by kicking the ball back onto the field, but Kavanagh decided not to call him for it.
“There were two incidents in the first half, but nothing happened,” Arteta stated. “That call is permissible by law, but he must make the next call—a red card—as well.”
Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka brought attention to this inconsistency when he stated, “We just want some consistency.” In the first half, Joao Pedro booted the ball halfway across the field and received no credit for it. Dec was dismissed after receiving the tiniest touch.
The controversy surrounding Kavanagh’s officiating during this game brings to light persistent worries about the Premier League’s inconsistent officiating, especially with regard to how the rules are applied in different scenarios.
Halsey and other critics contend that in order to preserve the integrity of the game, referees should make an effort to make decisions that are fair and consistent.
As things stand, calls like Kavanagh’s only serve to irritate players, coaches, and supporters, which raises questions about the quality of officiating in professional football.
