REUTERS/John Sibley
John Terry’s controversial comments about the incident involving Gabriel and Emi Martinez during Sunday’s Premier League clash between Arsenal and Chelsea have caused a stir.
Gabriel avoided punishment after kicking Chelsea goalkeeper Martinez in the head during a scramble for the ball early in the contest at the Emirates Stadium.
The Arsenal defender’s kick to the head was deemed ‘accidental contact’, so VAR opted against reviewing the incident more forensically - to the surprise of many.
Former England and Manchester United star Wayne Rooney, speaking on Match of the Day, argued Gabriel was “extremely lucky” to avoid a straight red card.
However, former PGMOL (now Pro Ref) chief Keith Hackett is firmly of the opinion that the correct decision was reached, due to Gabriel displaying “no malice”. The ex-FIFA ref added: “I put it under the banner of accidental”.
Terry: Chelsea Wasted Opportunity to Get Gabriel Sent Off
Reuters
Former Chelsea captain John Terry has now had his say. The legendary centre-back believes Chelsea’s players and coaching staff could - and should - have done more in the moment to get Gabriel sent off.
"The Emi Martinez-Gabriel incident - when he clearly kicks him in the head. I watched the game at home yesterday. I didn't think there was too much in it first of all, but slowed down, he clearly completely misses the ball and connects with Emi Martinez in the head,” Terry said on his YouTube channel.
“These are the moments in games. Now, again, I think Arsenal do this the best in the league in terms of the dark arts and managing games and circumstances like this.
"This was a big opportunity. I think Joao Pedro and [Jorrel] Hato are the two closest players to him. My first thing was as a player, if I'm close to that straight away, my instinct goes 'referee he has just been kicked in the f***ing head! That's a blatant red.'
Terry continued: "I know we don't really want to be doing that, but again, we're here to win three points. We're here to challenge for the Premier League title. So all these little dark arts are big, and I think we need to get better at it as a team, and I think we will because we have loads more experience in the group now.
“In those moments you can make a lot more of an issue of it. You put a bit of pressure on refs in those difficult moments.”
Terry also says Chelsea’s coaching staff should have put pressure on the fourth official after reviewing the incident in the dugout. He added:
While Arsenal fans aren’t impressed with Terry’s comments, urging Chelsea’s players to get a fellow professional sent off, the Blues faithful are more understanding.
“I hate that he’s right, because this isn’t why any of us watch football,” one Chelsea supporter commented on X (Twitter). “But he is.”
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Arsenal won the match 2-1 thanks to Martin Odegaard’s second-half winning goal for the reigning Premier League champions, who maintain their perfect start to the 2026-27 campaign, in the second half.
Chelsea, on six points from a possible nine, currently sit fourth after their winning start to the season came to an end in north London.