An extended international break is on the way and Arsenal can use the time to take stock after a difficult weekend in the Premier League
Declan Rice during Brighton vs Arsenal
Declan Rice and Arsenal had a weekend to forget as they head into a three-week break(Image: Luke Hastings/Wired Photos/Shutterstock)
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Arsenal have three weeks to lick their wounds after tasting defeat for the first time this season. The reigning Premier League champions were beaten 3-0 by Brighton and won't return to action until Leeds United come to the Emirates Stadium on October 10.
It was a frustrating afternoon for the Gunners at the Amex Stadium as goals from Pascal Gross, Charalampos Kostoulas and Chema Andres gave Brighton all three points. It could have been even worse, with Declan Rice escaping a red card for an off-the-ball incident.
Now it's time for an extended international break, during which some squad members could end up featuring in as many as four matches. Mikel Arteta will hope everyone comes back unscathed heading into a busy October.
Not everyone will be away on international duty, as you'll soon learn, while there has been some more fallout from that Rice incident. Here are our latest lines from around the Emirates Stadium.
Rice red card verdict
Declan Rice escaped punishment after kicking out at Brighton midfielder Malick Yalcouye during added time in Saturday's defeat. However, after pundit Alan Shearer said he doesn't believe it was sufficient for a red card, former Premier League official Dermot Gallagher has concurred.
"I think it's petulant. What you've got to remember is that it's got to be deemed violent conduct," Gallagher said during an appearance on Sky Sports' Ref Watch.
"Is that brutal or malicious? I think not. He runs a risk, there's no doubt about that. For me, that's not an act of violence. It's a very unwise thing to do, but the referee got it right."
International absences announced
While many of his Arsenal team-mates head off on international duty, Piero Hincapie will stay at home. He is one of a number of high-profile absentees from the Ecuador squad, along with Chelsea's Moises Caicedo and Joel Ordonez of Club Brugge.
Piero Hincapie during the 2026 World Cup
Piero Hincapie won't link up with his Ecuador colleagues this month(Image: Xinhua/Shutterstock)
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According to reports in South America, 'injuries and physical issues' are to blame for the trio missing out. Hincapie was an unused substitute for Arsenal at Brighton on Saturday but hasn't made it onto the pitch since the Champions League meeting with Napoli on September 9.
Ecuador face South Korea on September 24 in the first of three matches during this international break. This is the players' first chance to impress new manager Marcelo Gallardo, who replaced Sebastian Beccacece after the World Cup.
Hincapie's club team-mate Rice will also miss the upcoming international break, with football.london suggesting this is for load management reasons. The England midfielder is one of five stars to withdraw from Thomas Tuchel's squad at the time of writing, with Chelsea's Cole Palmer among the others.
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