“He’s literally run past him” - Ian Wright hits out at Arsenal star for ‘jogging back’ before Brighton grab equaliser
Arsenal icon Ian Wright chided Gunners midfielder Thomas Partey for his poor awareness before Joao Pedro's equalizer for Brighton & Hove Albion. The goal secured a 1-1 draw for the Seagulls against their fancied opponents in the Premier League at the Emirates on August 31.
Partey has played every single minute this season for the Gunners, being a solid contributor and a significant presence in their back-to-back 2-0 wins. He even scored a 77th-minute goal in their victory over Aston Villa (August 24).
However, he was caught out of position and was guilty of ball-watching when Joao Pedro ran through and brought his side back on level terms. Wright was infuriated by the Ghanaian, claiming that he was simply 'jogging back' and not showing any efforts to stop the chance.
In his post-match analysis, the 60-year-old said (via Football 365):
“When you look at the play, you look at Thomas Partey…he’s literally run past him. Thomas Partey has to recognise in that instant he has to go all the way with Pedro and at least make a challenge. Pedro blasts past him and he’s just kind of jogging back."
“Those are the things that when you look back at that you’ll say well that could have been avoided. Maybe more pressure could’ve been put on Lewis Dunk cut that angle off and I think Partey’s got to cover Pedro," Wright added.
With Arsenal 1-0 up, Declan Rice was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for kicking the ball away from a free kick to waste time in the 49th minute. Pedro's equalizer came in the 58th minute, springing the game to life. While Brighton failed to convert their chances, the Gunners couldn't capitalize on their attacking prowess to win the game either.
"I'll learn from it" - Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice speaks out after receiving red card in 1-1 draw against Brighton
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice apologized to his teammates after his 49th-minute red card put his side on the back foot against Brighton & Hove Albion. The 10-man Gunners side conceded an equalizer just nine minutes later, and could not secure all three points due to the numerical disadvantage.
After the game, the Englishman said (via Mirror):
"I think from my behalf, that’s my first sending off in my career, so I just wanted to apologise obviously to my teammates, which I’ve done, and to the fans. When you get sent off, it’s never nice, you get a sense of guilt over you, and I was lucky today that my teammates really helped me out and we didn’t lose the game. I’ll learn from it."
Rice will be suspended for Arsenal's next Premier League fixture, a crucial clash against north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. The Lilywhites will host the Gunners on September 15, after the conclusion of the international break.