Shearer warned Arsenal that if they repeat their poor performance against Brighton & Hove Albion, their title aspirations would suffer a severe blow.

"They lost, and it was an absolute thrashing," former England striker Alan Shearer said on Match of the Day while reviewing the replay of Rice's red card.

"The score could have been 6-0 or 7-0, and Rice's action was a clear sign of losing control."

"Pascal Groß gave him a little push. I think the referee's decision to show a red card was correct and reasonable.

"It wasn't an extremely vicious tackle; he didn't fully kick his opponent, so I think the referee made the right call. But this moment perfectly summarized Arsenal's performance throughout the entire match."

Shearer stressed that the team didn't need to "panic," but he also stated that if Arsenal wants to successfully defend their title, they absolutely cannot repeatedly deliver such poor performances.

"I don't think there's any need to panic. Last season Arsenal had 10 points after five matches, this season they have 12 points after five matches," added Shearer, the Premier League's all-time leading scorer.

"But performances like today's absolutely cannot be repeated frequently."

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