Ian Wright criticises ‘impatient’ Arsenal fans who moaned during Brighton draw

Ian Wright was unimpressed with the reaction of some Arsenal fans during Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Brighton (Picture: PLP)

Ian Wright was unimpressed with a section of Arsenal fans during Saturday’s furstrating 1-1 draw against Brighton.

The Gunners looked on course to make it three wins from three at the start of the new season when Kai Havertz broke the deadlock seven minutes before half-time.

A delicately poised match turned, however, on a contentious refereeing decision shortly after the interval when Declan Rice was sent off for preventing a quick restart after he nudged the ball away from Joel Veltman.

An incensed home crowd turned on referee Chris Kavanagh and later turned on their own team who retreated following Joao Pedro’s equaliser and attempted to hit Brighton on the break.

Wright, however, believes the point gained ultimately represented a good result for the Gunners considering they had to play the second half at a numerical disadvantage.

He told Premier League Productions: ‘With Arsenal fans you can hear in the stadium there’s a little bit of impatience in respect of attacking them.

‘You’ve got to recognise there’s a point in the game where you realise we’ve got to get a point.

Declan Rice was sent off against Brighton after receiving a controversial second yellow card (Credits: REUTERS)

‘They made some very good substitutions in Enciso and Adringa coming on they are dangerous players and Pedro already there causing problems.

‘You’ve got to make sure you don’t lose the game and that’s why I in the end I thought the point was a very, very good one.’

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, meanwhile, was ‘amazed’ Rice was dismissed but was proud of the way his side played both before and after the sending off.

‘I was amazed,’ said Arteta in response to a decision that will deprive him of his midfield enforcer for the north London derby against Tottenham.

‘In the first half when the opponents did that they didn’t get any booking. He makes the call by law in a non critical area of the pitch when the ball hit the heel when turning around, to make that decision.

‘By law he can do it but be consistent. If that is the case they should have a man sent off and then it is 10 v 10.’

He added: ‘Amazing, the team and the reaction of the crowd [after going a man down]. We created two big chances one v one and we should have won the game.’

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