Gabriel Cleared of Violent Conduct After Clash with Martinez

The controversy arrived almost before the game had even begun.

Five minutes into Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Chelsea on September 6, a frantic scramble in the penalty area left Emi Martinez on the turf and the Emirates holding its breath. As bodies flew in to attack and defend a loose ball, Gabriel’s boot rose high and crashed into the goalkeeper’s head, drawing immediate medical attention for the Argentine and furious appeals from the Chelsea players.

Referee Chris Kavanagh kept his red card in his pocket. His view, blocked by a crowd of players in the six-yard box, never caught the full force of the contact. The VAR team checked the incident but chose not to send him to the monitor. No dismissal. No penalty. Just anger in blue shirts and a sense that Arsenal had just escaped something serious.

Days later, the Premier League’s Key Match Incident Panel has backed that call.

All five members of the KMI panel reviewed the footage and unanimously supported the on-field decision, ruling that Gabriel’s challenge did not amount to violent conduct or serious foul play. The panel highlighted the chaos of the situation – multiple players on the ground, all lunging for a loose ball in a packed penalty area – as the key mitigating factor.

Their explanation was blunt: in that crowded, scrambling moment, Gabriel’s actions did not cross the line.

It is a verdict that keeps a notable line on Gabriel’s record intact. Across 265 appearances for Arsenal, the Brazilian centre-back has still never received a straight red card. Since his arrival from Lille in 2020, his disciplinary record reads 32 yellow cards and two dismissals, both for second bookable offences rather than a single act of serious misconduct.

Not everyone is buying the panel’s stance.

On BBC’s Match of the Day, former Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney tore into the decision. He argued that the replays – especially in slow motion – stripped away any sense of ambiguity.

“You don’t really see it at first sight but then when you see a replay and they slow it down,” Rooney said. “Martinez has got the ball in his hands and Gabriel boots him in the head, he swings a leg and goes way over the top. He’s extremely lucky to stay on the pitch.”

Ashley Young echoed that disbelief in the studio, turning his fire on the VAR process itself. “I agree. When the ball is on the floor and Martinez has it, Gabriel kicks so high. I’m not sure why it hasn’t gone to VAR or if they’ve properly studied it because he’s nowhere near the ball. He’s got away with one there.”

While the debate raged, Arsenal simply kept winning.

The reprieve for Gabriel meant Mikel Arteta’s side stayed at full strength, and they needed every ounce of it after a nightmare start. Just two minutes in, £117m signing Morgan Rogers stunned the home crowd, pouncing to give Chelsea a shock lead and silence the Emirates.

The response was ruthless. Kai Havertz, facing his former club, dragged Arsenal level and shifted the mood entirely. From there, the champions tightened their grip. Early in the second half, captain Martin Odegaard arrived with the decisive touch, sliding home a 50th-minute winner that preserved Arsenal’s perfect start: four games, four wins, title defence fully on track.

Chelsea’s story could hardly be more different.

For all the money spent and the attacking flashes, Xabi Alonso’s side cannot keep the back door shut. This latest defeat extends their grim run to 20 consecutive Premier League matches without a clean sheet. It is a statistic that now hangs over the club like a warning sign, one that no amount of flair or transfer spend can disguise.

Arsenal march on, unblemished and unshaken by the storm around Gabriel. Chelsea, still leaking goals and searching for defensive authority, must decide how long they can live with a record that keeps dragging them backwards.