Referee Chris Kavanagh expressed discomfort regarding his decision to send off Arsenal's Declan Rice for a second yellow card during the match against Brighton & Hove Albion, stating he had 'no choice' after Rice kicked the ball away to delay a free kick. The incident, which occurred in the 49th minute, resulted in Rice being suspended for subsequent matches, including the North London Derby. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta voiced his astonishment at the decision, especially given that Brighton's Joao Pedro faced no punishment for a similar action earlier in the game. Howard Webb, the chief of referees, supported Kavanagh's decision and emphasized the importance of strict adherence to rules regarding delaying restarts. Despite backing Kavanagh's call, Webb acknowledged that there was a mistake in not penalizing Pedro for his actions. The Premier League's new initiative, 'Match Officials Mic'd Up,' aims to clarify these contentious referee decisions to fans.