Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has defended the decision not to send off Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes after a clash of heads with Manchester City striker Erling Haaland. Both players were booked following the incident during Sunday's top-flight fixture at the Etihad Stadium, with referee Anthony Taylor issuing yellow cards.
Gallagher, speaking on Sky Sports' Ref Watch, described the outcome as “very fair.” He noted that Gabriel was “very, very lucky” that Haaland did not go to ground, as that would have changed the situation. “If he hits the deck, the whole landscape changes and the referee has a different situation to deal with,” Gallagher said.
However, former Premier League striker Jay Bothroyd disagreed, arguing that Gabriel's actions constituted violent conduct. “When we look at the rules, it is violent conduct if you put your head into someone's face,” Bothroyd said. “What Haaland said is absolutely right - if he goes down holding his face there, he is going to get a red card.”
Alan Shearer also criticised the VAR decision, comparing it to a recent red card for Manchester United's Lisandro Martinez for a hair pull. “How on earth is that not a red card? Seriously, what is going on in our game with VAR?” Shearer said on the Rest is Football podcast. He suggested VAR may have been reluctant to influence the title race.
