‘Don’t like it’: Audio shows ref angst at Rice red

Premier League referee Chris Kavanagh conceded he “didn’t like” showing Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice a red card for kicking the ball away during the draw against Brighton last month, but had no choice.

The audio of the incident was released on Tuesday in the first episode of the Premier League’s “Match Officials Mic’d Up” in which former referee Howard Webb joined former England striker Michael Owen to discuss five on-field decisions.

In it, Kavanagh is heard talking to his assistants via his microphone, saying “I don’t like it, but he’s knocked the ball.”

Rice, who had already been booked, tapped the ball away from Joël Veltman to delay the taking of a free-kick. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta afterwards said he was “amazed” that the England midfielder had been shown a second yellow card.

Kavanagh was clearly uncomfortable with the decision he had to make, but said he was put in a difficult situation.

“Second yellow, for me. I had no choice, he knocks the ball away. As [Veltman’s] about to kick it, he knocks the ball,” he is heard to say. “I have no choice. He’s put me in an awful position. Dec, you need to go I’m afraid.”

The Premier League hope the show will help fans understand the processes involved in decision-making by on-field and VAR officials, following intense criticism last season.

Webb, who is the chief operating officer of referees’ body the PGMOL, agreed that Kavanagh was correct to send off Rice.

“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,” Webb said.

“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.”

Arteta was also annoyed that Brighton forward Joao Pedro had escaped a yellow card for delaying the restart in the first half, and Webb conceded he should have been booked.

“Of course, he [Pedro] should have been cautioned here,” Webb admitted. “The officials on the field gave him too much benefit of doubt, feeling that the actions weren’t really impactful because they felt that the Arsenal players were not ready to take that throw-in.”

Among the other incidents discussed was a penalty that was awarded to Everton‘s Dominic Calvert-Lewin against Brighton by referee Simon Hooper but overturned after VAR invited the referee to review the incident.

Footage showed Calvert-Lewin had actually trodden on the foot of a Brighton defender Lewis Dunk, not the other way round.

“Sometimes the referee’s call will be clearly and obviously wrong and in this case it was,” Webb said.

“So that’s a good example of a situation where the referee’s call was wrong and it needed intervention by the VAR.”

Webb did admit that VAR Tim Robinson was wrong to disallowed Dango Ouattara’s stoppage time winner for AFC Bournemouth against Newcastle United for handball.

“In this situation, the ball strikes Ouattara’s shoulder, upper-arm area.” Webb explained. “It’s hard to be totally conclusive as to exactly where. I don’t think that’s conclusive enough to intervene.”

Information from ESPN’s Dale Johnson contributed to this report.