Mikel Arteta gives update on Jurrien Timber injury after Brighton draw | Football

The Dutchman missed almost all of last season due to serious knee problems and there were concerns towards the end of the 1-1 draw with the Seagulls at the Emirates when he had to be substituted.

However, there was good news from the Gunners boss in the post-match press conference: He confirmed that Timber had only suffered from cramps.

The fact that the versatile defender was replaced by Oleksandr Zinchenko was bad enough, but he will not have to miss a single football game due to injury.

Arteta was furious after the game because Declan Rice was sent off early in the second half for a second yellow card.

The England midfielder kicked the ball away from a Brighton free kick and was then heavily kicked by Joel Veltman for displacing the ball.

Arteta said the booking would have been justified, but only if the referee had shown Brighton's Joao Pedro a card in the first half for blatantly kicking the ball away when it went out of play and Arsenal could have awarded a throw-in.

“I was astonished,” Arteta said of Rice's red card. “In the first half, when the opposition did that, they didn't get a warning. He makes the decision legally in a non-critical area of ​​the pitch when the ball hits the heel when he turns. The rules say he can do that, but he has to be consistent. If that's the case, they should send a man off and then it's 10 against 10.”

On his reaction to the red card, he said: “Amazing, the team and the reaction of the crowd [after going a man down]. We created two great chances in one-on-one situations and should have won the game.'

Kai Havertz opened the scoring for the Gunners in the 38th minute after the home side had dominated the opening moves, but Rice's red card changed everything.

Brighton took advantage of the situation and equalised just before the hour mark through Pedro. Both sides had chances to win the game but neither could take three points.