Declan Rice narrowly avoided a red card for a reckless kick at Brighton’s Malick Yalcouye during Arsenal's 3-0 defeat in the Premier League on October 1, 2023. The incident occurred in the dying moments of the match, as Rice lashed out after being pressured by Yalcouye, who had just passed the ball.

Yalcouye fell to the ground and appealed to referee Darren England, who opted to issue Rice a yellow card. The England international was fortunate to escape without further punishment, contrasting with recent incidents involving Phil Foden of Manchester City and Joao Gomes of Aston Villa, who both received red cards for similar offenses this season.

The match, held at the Amex Stadium, marked Arsenal's heaviest Premier League defeat in over three years, ending their perfect start to the season. Despite aiming to match a 123-year club record by winning their first eight matches, they fell short as Brighton capitalized on Arsenal's slow start, with first-half goals from Pascal Gross and Charalampos Kostoulas. Chema Andres added a third for Brighton in the second half with a header from a corner.

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal's manager, acknowledged his team's shortcomings, stating they deserved to lose and struggled with the basics throughout the match. He emphasized the need for improvement, particularly in winning duels and maintaining possession against Brighton's pressing game. Arteta expressed disappointment but recognized the learning opportunities from this setback.