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Arsenal’s Declan Rice, left, discusses with Brighton’s Danny Welbeck during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Brighton, at Emirates Stadium in London, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
LONDON – Brighton managed to secure a 1-1 draw against Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday, thanks to a dramatic turn of events.
Arsenal was leading 1-0 and appeared to be cruising towards victory when Declan Rice was controversially sent off early in the second half. The game-changing moment came in the 49th minute when Rice was shown a second yellow card for a seemingly minor incident involving Joel Veltman.
The turning point allowed Brighton to equalize through Joao Pedro in the 58th minute, after David Raya initially saved a shot from Yankuba Minteh.
Kai Havertz had put Arsenal ahead with a well-placed lob over the goalkeeper, but Brighton capitalized on the numerical advantage to secure a valuable point.
Both Brighton and Arsenal had won their opening two league games, setting the stage for a thrilling encounter. The draw now opens up the opportunity for defending champions Manchester City to claim the top spot in the standings with a win against West Ham.
Liverpool, another contender, will face Manchester United on Sunday in a crucial match that could shape the early season standings.
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