Referee Chris Kavanagh seemingly did not want to show Declan Rice a red card during Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Brighton last month but claimed that he had no choice.

Rice was sent off for the first time in his professional career after picking up two yellow cards during the Premier League stalemate at the Emirates Stadium. 

The Gunners midfielder was issued with a yellow card in the first half for a late challenge on Joel Veltman.

Rice fouled Veltman, who then kicked the Arsenal star, sending him to the floor.

Arsenal fans screamed at referee Kavanagh, urging him to send off Veltman for violent conduct.

However, Kavanagh instead dismissed Rice, while Veltman survived a brief VAR check for a possible red card. 

It was deemed that Veltman had been trying to kick the ball, instead of Rice, but the former West Ham captain cheekily flicked it away just before the Brighton man could take a quick free-kick.

Rice was therefore shown a second yellow card for delaying the restart – something referees had been instructed to clamp down on during a pre-season briefing by the PGMOL.  

The PGMOL’s chief refereeing officer Howard Webb featured in a TV show on Tuesday night to analyse some of this season’s high-profile decisions made by Premier League refs.

Naturally, the Rice incident was covered.

After footage and audio surrounding the red card was played – which revealed what the officiating team had said to one another, as well as what the ref had told the players – Webb summarised: ‘As you hear from Chris Kavanagh, he’s clearly seen Declan Rice commit a foul, then kick the ball away from an opponent that was in the process of taking a free-kick.

‘We’ve messaged very clearly and strongly to the players in pre-season around the importance of not getting involved with the ball once the whistle is gone, not delaying the restart in that way.

‘Once he’s seen Declan Rice deliberately, clearly kick that ball away from the position of that free-kick, then I don’t think he’s got any choice.’

Webb was clearly happy that the correct decision had been reached. However, Kavanagh suggested multiple times during the match that he was not in favour of the law that he needed to uphold.

‘Declan Rice has kicked the ball away. Going to have no choice, mate,’ Kavanagh communicated via his headset.

One of his assistants replied: ‘It’s a second yellow mate.’

‘I know, I’ve got no choice,’ Kavanagh begrudgingly agreed.

Confirming why Rice had to go, the assistant then declared: ‘Yeah, it’s delaying the restart.’

Kavanagh grumbled back: ‘I know it is. And I’m going to have to deal with it, aren’t I?’

The assistant then advised Kavanagh to stick to the rule book by telling him: ‘Just look after yourself.’

In terms of what Kavanagh told the players, his conversation with Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard was also aired on Tuesday.

‘I have no choice,’ he told the Norwegian. ‘He’s put me in an awful position.’

Rice came over to argue that he had not kicked the ball, but he was ushered away by the ref. ‘You’ve got to go, Dec. You need to go,’ said Kavanagh.

‘I don’t like it. I don’t like it. But he’s knocked the ball. He’s kicked the ball. Dec, you need to go, I’m afraid. You’ve kicked the ball away.’