Wasn't that a red? Rice kicked a Brighton player and got away with a yellow. VIDEO

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice found himself at the center of attention after the final whistle of the Premier League's fifth-round match against Brighton. The London club suffered a heavy 0-3 defeat, while late in the game the England midfielder could have been shown a straight red card for unsporting behavior.

In the dying seconds of the match, Rice blatantly kicked Malick Yalcouye in the legs, even though the ball was nowhere near the incident. After the foul, the Arsenal player also began provoking the Brighton midfielder, sparking further tension between the players.

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The match referee, however, showed Rice only a yellow card. The decision raised questions, as the foul came without any attempt to play the ball and effectively amounted to a kick at an opponent during an incident unrelated to the contest for possession.

A lot of people are talking about my reaction, but nobody is talking about what happened before that. He was chasing me for the ball. I could hear him coming, but I knew he was not going to get there. I played the ball and then he shoulder-bumped me. I did not like that at all, especially when we were losing and everyone was already frustrated. He came up to me after the final whistle, but I was not interested in talking at that moment. I did not take what happened well. Maybe we will sort it out after this interview, - Rice said after the match.