Wayne Rooney believes Gabriel was “extremely lucky” to stay on the pitch after catching Emiliano Martinez in the head during Arsenal’s controversial 2-1 victory over Chelsea.
Wayne Rooney says Gabriel Magalhães was ‘extremely lucky’ to escape red card against Chelsea
Wayne Rooney has questioned one of the biggest refereeing decisions from Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea, claiming Gabriel Magalhães was “extremely lucky” not to be sent off.
The controversial moment came early in the London derby when Gabriel’s raised boot caught Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the head during a goalmouth scramble.
Martinez required treatment, but referee Chris Kavanagh did not show Gabriel a card and VAR did not recommend an on-field review.
Gabriel incident comes with Arsenal already behind
The timing of the incident made the decision even more significant.
Chelsea had made a stunning start at the Emirates Stadium, with Morgan Rogers opening the scoring after just 77 seconds.
Only a few minutes later, Arsenal could potentially have been reduced to 10 men while already trailing 1-0.
Gabriel attempted to play the ball as Martinez moved to collect it, but the defender’s boot rose high and made contact with the goalkeeper’s head.
Chelsea players immediately appealed for punishment as Martinez remained on the ground.
Rooney says Gabriel was ‘extremely lucky’
Speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day after the game, Rooney made his position clear after watching the incident again in slow motion.
The former Manchester United and England captain pointed out that Martinez had control of the ball when Gabriel swung his leg and caught him high.
Rooney concluded that Gabriel was “extremely lucky to stay on the pitch”.
For Rooney, the height of the challenge and the fact that Gabriel’s boot connected with Martinez’s head made the lack of a red card difficult to understand.
Ashley Young agrees with Rooney
Rooney was not alone in questioning the decision.
Former England defender Ashley Young also expressed surprise that Gabriel escaped dismissal.
Young highlighted how high Gabriel’s foot travelled and questioned how close the Arsenal defender really was to playing the ball.
He also raised questions about the VAR process and why the incident did not result in Kavanagh being sent to the pitchside monitor.
Why VAR did not overturn the decision
The incident was considered by VAR, but officials did not recommend an on-field review for a possible red card.
That meant Kavanagh’s original decision to allow Gabriel to remain on the pitch stood.
The key issue is whether Gabriel’s action should have been considered serious foul play because of the height of the boot, the point of contact and the potential danger to Martinez.
Rooney and Young clearly believed the challenge crossed that line.
The officials reached a different conclusion.
Decision could have completely changed the match
The controversy became even more significant because of what happened next.
Had Gabriel been dismissed, Arsenal could have been forced to play almost the entire match with 10 men while Chelsea were already leading.
Instead, the defender remained on the pitch and Arsenal recovered.
Kai Havertz equalised against his former club before half-time, while captain Martin Ødegaard completed the comeback in the second half.
Arsenal eventually secured a 2-1 victory and maintained their perfect start to the Premier League season.
Chelsea left frustrated by major decision
The Gabriel incident was not the only refereeing talking point during an intense London derby.
Arsenal also saw a Riccardo Calafiori goal ruled out following a VAR offside review during the first half.
However, for Chelsea supporters, Gabriel remaining on the pitch is likely to be the decision that attracts the greatest scrutiny.
The fact that the incident happened so early, with Chelsea already ahead, has only increased the feeling that a different decision could have dramatically altered the match.
Rooney adds fuel to Arsenal-Chelsea controversy
There has been no suggestion of a retrospective suspension for Gabriel following the match.
The debate instead centres on the interpretation of the challenge and whether Premier League referees are applying the threshold for serious foul play consistently.
With Rooney and Young both believing Gabriel was fortunate to escape dismissal, the incident has now become one of the biggest talking points from Arsenal’s comeback victory.
For Arsenal, the result is another major win. For Chelsea, however, the question remains: should the Gunners have been playing with 10 men from the opening minutes?
