‘Look at that’: Ian Wright hits out at Arsenal player for ‘jogging’ after Declan Rice’s red card

Ian Wright wasn’t best pleased after Arsenal dropped points at home to Brighton on Saturday.

From Wright’s perspective, even though Arsenal didn’t win, he sees it as a point gained because Mikel Arteta’s side were down to ten men.

Declan Rice was sent off early in the second half for a second bookable offence for kicking the ball away.

That call infuriated the Arsenal supporters, with Arteta making his feelings clear about Rice’s red card and the inconsistency around it all.

Joao Pedro scored Brighton’s equalising goal and he too kicked the ball away in the first half, but nothing was given, so you can understand their frustration.

But that wasn’t the only thing that frustrated Wright, it’s how certain players reacted when such a key figure like Rice had to leave the pitch.

Brighton are a naturally attacking side, they like to keep possession, they have made a 100% start to the new season, so their tails are up and they were going to put pressure on the title chasers.

But that doesn’t stop you from doing the basics right and one man, in particular, was singled out by the Arsenal legend.

For Brighton’s goal, Wright noticed Thomas Partey ‘jogging’ and not picking up the run of Pedro, who in the end, would score from inside the box following a rebound.

Wright made it clear that ‘could have been avoided’ because they should have ‘put pressure’ on Lewis Dunk as well who passed the ball forward, as he told Premier League Productions (31/08/24 at 2:40 pm).

Thomas Partey slammed after Arsenal draw against Brighton

“When you look at that and the play from there, you look at Thomas Partey,” said Wright. “He (Joao Pedro) has literally run past him.

“Thomas Partey also has to recognise, in that instance, he has to go all the way with Pedro. At least make a challenge, when Pedro just blasts past him and he is kind of jogging back.

“Those are the things, when you look back at that, you say ‘that could have been avoided’. Maybe you could have put more pressure on Lewis Dunk. He has the capability. Put more pressure on that. Cut that angle off him and then I think Partey has to cover Pedro.”

After the international break, it’s the small matter of the north London derby at Tottenham’s stadium and this is going to be huge for both teams.

Tottenham lost to Newcastle on Sunday and they go into that game with extra pressure on their shoulders.

But Rice will be suspended for the Tottenham game, so that should be a boost for Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Although, Arsenal could hand a debut to Raheem Sterling against Spurs, as more drama awaits in the next edition of the north London derby.