Mikel Arteta managed to keep his mouth shut after Declan Rice’s controversial red card, writes ISAAN KHAN, but the midfielder’s absence will be felt in the upcoming North London derby

When Mikel Arteta used the word ‘surprised’ three times when describing Declan Rice’s departure, you wondered if he was going off the beaten track.

Since his ‘disgrace’ tirade at Newcastle last November, where Anthony Gordon’s winning goal was controversially allowed, Arteta has been cautious in his responses to refereeing decisions that have not gone Arsenal’s way. You could say he defends with a straight bat in cricket.

It wasn’t the same Arteta at St James’ Park on Saturday. You could feel the Spaniard’s anger there as he strode into the press conference room. Still, Rice’s second yellow card had annoyed him.

It has helped Arsenal drop two points, yes, but more importantly for legions of Arsenal fans, it means the £105 million man will miss his next league game: the North London Derby against Tottenham. A game of bragging rights and pride.

The first yellow card, in the 42nd minute, was a bad foul by Rice when he slid in and swept Joel Veltman’s legs out from under him. A correct decision by referee Chris Kavanagh.

Declan Rice was sent off for the first time in his career as Arsenal were held to a draw by Brighton

Now Mikel Arteta must look for an alternative in his midfield for the North London derby

The second was very controversial. Rice had cleared the ball from Veltman when he tried to take a quick free kick. According to the referee protocols, it technically falls within the jurisdiction for another yellow card, no matter how minor the offense.

But Joao Pedro was not cautioned for kicking the ball away in the first half. You can understand Arteta’s call for ‘consistency’.

Despite this, Arsenal will have to do without Rice and new signing Mikel Merino, who is believed to have suffered a broken shoulder at Tottenham two days after his arrival.

A threadbare Arsenal midfield going into a game certainly changes the balance. Since signing last summer, Rice has performed incredibly well, week in, week out.

The midfielder’s ability to clear away the defensive line has long been a hallmark of his, although he has also transformed his game as a No. 8. From there, he has the ability to bulldoze through opposition lines, as evidenced by his seven goals and eight assists last season.

That was an improvement from the four goals and two assists in the 2022-23 season.

After a three-game slump in December that saw Arsenal lose to Fulham, West Ham and Aston Villa, Arsenal cannot afford such a run, especially so early in the campaign.

Jorginho is no pushover and has the credentials to fill Rice’s role, and Arteta is a big fan of his, resulting in a contract extension for the Italian in May.

Jorginho could play in midfield but has yet to feature for the Gunners this season

Arteta will therefore likely look for alternative solutions, but the loss of Rice will certainly be felt.

It will be difficult for him to get going straight away now that he hasn’t played. He hasn’t even come on as a substitute this season.

An alternative option is to play Jurrien Timber in midfield. The absence of Rice and Merino arguably leaves a gap in terms of physicality, which Timber does have.

Arteta indicated ahead of the season opener against Wolves that Timber can play in more positions than just defence.

Regardless of which team he lines up for, Rice’s loss will be felt.