Micah Richards slated Declan Rice's bizarre sending off in Arsenal's weekend Premier league draw against Brighton as 'one of the worst decisions I have ever seen.'
The Manchester City legend is the latest ex-Premier League star to criticise the second yellow card dished out by referee Chris Kavanagh who booked the England international for kicking the ball away.
Rice had already been deservedly booked for a rash challenge int he first-half against the Seagulls before being given his marching orders in the opening exchanges of the second 45 minutes after he booting the ball amidst being kick in the leg by Brighton full-back Joel Veltman.
Arsenal fans at the Emirates rose to demand Veltman be sent off for his wild swing at Rice, but it was the Gunners midfielder who found himself being dismissed for a second yellow card.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta fumed at the decision to send his midfielder off as Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton despite initially taking the lead through a delicate Kai Havertz finish.
Micah Richards slated Declan Rice's (middle) bizarre sending off in Arsenal 's weekend Premier league draw against Brighton
Rice was shown a second yellow card when he kicked the ball away while being booted
Rice and Arsenal colleagues protested the midfielder's innocence to referee Chris Kavanagh
Richards has now blasted the referee's decision and was dumbfounded to explain why Rice was shown a red card that will see him miss Arsenal's next match against rivals Tottenham.
‘I feel completely different to the way you guys (Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer) feel,’ Richards told The Rest Is Football podcast on Monday.
‘I think that was one of the worst decisions I have ever seen. Letter of the law? First point, (Brighton forward) Joao Pedro kicked the ball away. He kicked the ball away! He didn’t get a yellow card.’
Arsenal's frustrations were further heightened after Brighton's Joao Pedro escaped punishment when he booted the ball up the opposite end of the pitch after a foul was given.
Premier League legend Alan Shearer attempted to counter Richards by stressing the ball was already out of play when Pedro kicked it, but had his suggestion immediately rejected.
Manchester City legend Micah Richards (pictured) is the latest ex-Premier League star to criticise the second yellow card
‘It doesn’t matter!’ Richards added. ‘Mike Arteta was about to get the ball and throw it to his player. That’s what it looked like to me. I’m not being biased here, I’m being totally neutral.
‘He kicked the ball away, so in my mind, that’s time wasting. That’s the first point. The second point is Joel Veltman. I’ve played in that position a lot. He’s tried to argue he’s taking a quick free-kick,' he added.
‘If you’re gonna play a quick free-kick, you don’t throw the ball five yards in front of you. You put your hand on the ball and then you pass it. You don’t take a quick free-kick there anyway.
‘You wait for your team to be set. He throws the ball, acts like he is going to kick it, but there is no-one in the space where he’s about to kick it anyway. Declan Rice, now… OK… I could understand if Declan Rice moved towards the ball and kicked it away,' said Richards.