Arsenal defender Gabriel should have been shown a red card for violent conduct against Manchester City, according to the Premier League’s key match incidents panel.
However, while the panel believed referee Anthony Taylor should have dismissed the Brazil international, it also felt the incident did not reach the threshold for a video assistant referee (VAR) intervention.
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Gabriel had been engaged in a battle with Erling Haaland throughout the top-of-the-table Premier League clash.
In the 82nd minute, the two players literally went head-to-head, with the Gabriel pushing his forehead into the City striker.
Referee Anthony Taylor opted to caution both players for adopting an aggressive attitude on the advice of his assistant.
The VAR, John Brooks, backed that decision, ruling that the centre-back’s action was “not excessively aggressive or violent”.
Most panellists disagreed with the yellow card shown by Taylor, voting 3:2 that “the extra head movement forward from Gabriel” should be seen as violent conduct.
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The other two panellists argued “there is little force or initial backwards movement from Gabriel.”
The panel voted 4:1 against a VAR intervention.
Gabriel would have been suspended for three matches if he had been sent off for violent conduct.
It was also unanimously ruled that Taylor was correct not to show a red card to City defender Abdukodir Khusanov.
Arsenal striker Kai Havertz went down under a challenge from the Uzbekistan international when running through on goal in the 53rd minute.
Taylor did not give a free-kick, and the VAR opted against a review for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.
The panel noted that “Havertz is not in control of the ball and Khusanov makes shoulder-to-shoulder contact”.