Wayne Rooney, the former Manchester United captain, has stated that Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes was "extremely lucky" not to have received a red card early in the Premier League match against Chelsea. The incident occurred in the sixth minute of the game, with Arsenal already trailing 1-0.
During a scramble at a set-piece, Gabriel's boot connected with the head of Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who was on the ground and holding the ball. The referee, Chris Kavanagh, did not issue a card, and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) also decided against intervening. Martinez required treatment following the collision.
Rooney, speaking on the program Match of the Day, highlighted the slow-motion replay, noting that Martinez had possession of the ball. "He's got the ball in two hands, he's way over the ball and he boots him in the head. So I think he's extremely lucky to stay on the pitch," Rooney said.
Ashley Young, a former teammate of Rooney's, echoed these sentiments, suggesting the incident was not "properly studied" by VAR. "I'm not sure why it's not gone to VAR and they've (not) properly studied it because he's nowhere near the ball. So I think he's got away with one there," Young added.
Despite the controversy, Gabriel remained on the field and played a role in Arsenal's subsequent 2-1 victory, with goals from Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard securing the win after Morgan Rogers's opening goal for Chelsea.
However, not all former officials agreed with the assessment. Former refereeing chief Keith Hackett, speaking to Football Insider, supported the decision not to punish Gabriel. Hackett stated that the referee did not have a clear view of the incident and that the action appeared accidental and lacked malice. He believed VAR made a wise decision in not intervening.
This is not the first time Gabriel has been involved in disciplinary discussions. Earlier in the week, former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor labeled him the "most overrated player in the Premier League." Additionally, Gabriel was involved in another incident later in the match where he appeared to bodycheck Chelsea's Pedro Neto, an action that also went unpunished.
Arsenal has maintained its perfect start to the Premier League season with this victory, enduring what was described as its toughest test of the season so far.