Gabriel Magalhaes has been backed by the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents panel after avoiding a red card during Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Chelsea.
The Brazilian caught Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the head during a goalmouth scramble at the Emirates, prompting calls for serious foul play.
Referee Chris Kavanagh took no further action after the incident was checked by VAR, and the independent KMI panel has now unanimously supported that decision.
According to Football.London’s report on the panel verdict, all five members agreed Gabriel’s challenge did not meet the threshold for either violent conduct or serious foul play.
The panel concluded that several players were competing for the loose ball and Gabriel’s action was part of that challenge rather than an attempt to strike Martinez.
Gabriel red-card decision backed 5-0
The verdict provides further support for the original on-field decision.
The Premier League’s Match Centre had already explained after the game that VAR did not believe Gabriel’s challenge met the threshold for a red card, with The Standard detailing why the defender escaped dismissal.
That decision attracted criticism from several former players and pundits, but the KMI panel’s 5-0 vote now confirms there was unanimous agreement with Kavanagh and the VAR team.
The Premier League introduced weekly publication of KMI outcomes this season to provide greater transparency around major refereeing decisions. The five-person panel contains three former players or coaches alongside Premier League and Pro Ref representatives.
For Arsenal, the episode is now closed without any retrospective disciplinary consequence for Gabriel.
That is welcome news with Mikel Arteta’s defensive options already stretched ahead of Brighton, as ReadArsenal covered in the latest Arsenal injury update.
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