Arsenal sent clear Gabriel red card verdict from ex-Premier League referee as pundits disagree

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher says Gabriel Magalhaes was 'very lucky' to escape a red card after a heated clash with Erling Haaland

Former Premier League official Dermot Gallagher has described it as a "fair outcome" that Gabriel Magalhaes avoided a red card following his confrontation with Erling Haaland. Both the Arsenal centre-back and Manchester City forward received yellow cards after a heated exchange during Sunday afternoon's top-flight fixture at the Etihad Stadium.

Gabriel seemed to move his head towards Haaland during the incident, with referee Anthony Taylor brandishing yellow cards to both players.

Pep Guardiola was also cautioned for his objections to the decision, while VAR upheld the on-field ruling of a booking for Gabriel.

Gallagher featured on Sky Sports' Ref Watch on Monday, where the former referee delivered his assessment of the incident.

He outlined why sending off Gabriel would have been incorrect, though acknowledged the Arsenal defender was "lucky" to escape a red card, reports the Mirror.

“It was a very fair outcome, both of them were aggressive, throughout the whole game, it just epitomised what was at stake,” Gallagher said.

“Gabriel is very unwise what he does, it is not the cleverest thing to do and he runs a risk, but if you look, he actually goes does the front of him and not through him, he does not headbutt him.

“But he is very, very lucky that Haaland was very, very responsible because if he hits the deck, the whole landscape changes and the referee has a different situation to deal with.”

Former Premier League striker Jay Bothroyd disagreed with Gallagher's assessment and outlined his reasoning for believing Gabriel deserved a dismissal for the incident with Haaland.

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“Gabriel was lucky - when we look at the rules, it is violent conduct if you put your head into someone's face, that was violent conduct and we have seen other people get sent off for that kind of movement towards someone's head,” Bothroyd said.

“What Haaland said is absolutely right - if he goes down holding his face there, he is going to get a red card and then he is banned for three matches.”

These verdicts follow former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer's scathing assessment of VAR's choice not to step in and issue Gabriel with a red card.

“The VAR sent the referee to the screen last week in the Man United game [vs Leeds] for a tiny tug of the hair, if anything, and [Lisandro] Martinez is sent off for violent conduct,” Shearer said on the Rest is Football podcast.

“Yet you look at Gabriel, who shoved his head into Haaland’s head, how on earth is that not a red card? Seriously, what is going on in our game with VAR?

“My take on it is that they [VAR] probably said, 'We don’t really want to get involved in the title race, and we might not be seen sending someone else off.’

“I think Haaland has done Gabriel a favour by not going to the ground, because so many other players would have gone to the ground when he stuck his head into his.

“Clear red card it should have been.”