A Premier League panel has concluded that Arsenal defender Gabriel should have been sent off for a headbutt on Manchester City striker Erling Haaland during last month's match at the Etihad Stadium. The Brazilian escaped with only a yellow card from referee Anthony Taylor, and VAR official John Brooks deemed the incident not excessively aggressive or violent.
The Premier League's Key Match Incidents panel voted 3-2 in favour of a red card, stating that Gabriel's extra head movement forward constituted violent conduct. However, the panel voted 4-1 against VAR intervention, acknowledging that while a red card was warranted, the on-field decision should not have been overturned.
Had Gabriel been dismissed, he would have faced a three-match ban for violent conduct, missing victories over Newcastle, Fulham, and West Ham. Haaland later commented that if he had fallen to the ground, Gabriel might have been sent off, but he refused to do so unless genuinely attacked.
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville expressed disbelief that Gabriel remained on the pitch, noting that throwing the head forward typically results in a red card. The incident has sparked debate over the consistency of disciplinary decisions in the Premier League.
