Rice's controversial purple card units Arsenal again regardless of busy summer time of transfers

The fretting over Arsenal‘s squad depth was supposed to finish when the Premier League‘s summer time switch window closed on Friday.

Raheem Sterling‘s last-gasp arrival on loan from Chelsea had many Gunners supporters pitching up at Emirates Stadium on Saturday enthused by the choices supervisor Mikel Arteta has at his disposal. But they left the bottom after Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion involved a few midfield space that immediately seems mild forward of the most important week of the season by far.

First, there may be a global break wherein to attract breath and regain a number of the composure that Arsenal quickly misplaced right here following Declan Rice‘s Fiftieth-minute purple card. However then comes a seven-day interval wherein they journey to Tottenham Hotspur for the north London derby, Italy for a Champions League opener in opposition to final season’s Europa League winners Atalanta after which to Premier League champions Manchester City.

Proper now, the indications are that new €32.5 million signing Mikel Merino will miss all three matches after struggling a fractured shoulder in his first coaching session. Rice is now suspended in opposition to Spurs after a controversial dismissal, the primary of his 245-game league profession.

After a powerful deal with on Joël Veltman simply earlier than half-time, the pair tangled once more shortly after the restart. As Veltman went to kick the ball — a transferring ball — to restart play following a free kick in his favour, Rice nudged it away and Veltman, who had already began swinging his proper leg, made contact with Rice as a substitute of the ball.

The Premier League later clarified Rice had “delayed the restart,” one thing he had technically carried out however in a fashion not constantly punished; Brighton’s João Pedro booted the ball away after it ran out within the first half with no sanction from referee Chris Kavanagh. Arteta additionally cited one other first-half second and claimed Veltman ought to have the truth is been despatched off for kicking Rice.

“I used to be amazed,” Arteta mentioned postmatch. “Amazed, amazed, amazed due to how inconsistent choices may be.

“Within the first half, there are two incidents and nothing occurs. Then, in a non-critical space, the ball hits Declan [on the back of his leg], he turns round, he would not see the participant coming and he touches the ball.

“By regulation, he could make that decision, however then by regulation he must make the following name, which is purple card so we play 10 versus 10. That is what amazed me. At this degree it is superb. [Declan] clearly had a response that his again was to the ball, that they don’t seem to be in the course of the park, making an attempt to counter or something.

“Anyway, I repeat myself; by regulation if you wish to do it it’s important to do it, however it’s important to do it within the first half and play 10 in opposition to 10. That is it. Quite simple.”

Brighton took benefit inside eight minutes. João Pedro turned residence the rebound after David Raya saved Yankuba Minteh‘s shot, cancelling out Kai Havertz‘s well-taken Thirty eighth-minute opener, lofted over Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.

Fuelled by a way of injustice, Arsenal reorganised and after a brief spell wherein they appeared flummoxed by reorganise with 10 males, Havertz and Bukayo Saka had superb possibilities to attain, however each have been denied by Verbruggen. Brighton inevitably managed possession and went closest by way of substitute Yasin Ayari in between these Havertz and Saka possibilities however needed to accept some extent.

“We reacted to what we needed to do enjoying at residence with 10 males,” Arteta mentioned. “We did not wish to be so deep defending like this, however we learn the sport and we performed the sport that we needed to play and we must always have gotten rewarded.”

There was not less than some excellent news afterwards in that defender Jurriën Timber didn’t undergo a critical damage and was as a substitute substituted late on with cramp. Timber has been cited as a attainable possibility in midfield given his physicality and high quality on the ball. It can possible be one thing Arteta considers for the challenges forward, though Jorginho, Thomas Partey and Martin Ødegaard are the obvious matches to begin in opposition to Spurs as issues stand.

The worldwide break will form their method and in addition give Sterling an opportunity to sharpen his sport forward of the journey throughout the capital. Not chosen for England by interim coach Lee Carsley, Sterling will as a substitute work at Arsenal’s London Colney base and reacquaint himself with Arteta, with whom he developed a powerful relationship throughout three years working collectively at Manchester Metropolis.

“We now have to see him, communicate to him [about] what he is been doing and the way he is feeling about it and attempt to discover fast wins to get him in control as rapidly as attainable and for him to grasp what we’re on the lookout for from him within the dynamics of the workforce,” Arteta mentioned of Sterling. “We are going to use that point to try this and get him concerned as quickly as attainable.”

And what of coping with out Rice or Merino? “That is what occurs,” Arteta replied. “We now have to adapt to that context. That is why we now have different gamers that may fulfill that [role] and [I can] give that chance to any individual else.”

Maybe these squad considerations by no means really go away.