Former England captain Wayne Rooney has voiced his belief that Arsenal defender Gabriel was lucky to avoid a sending-off during the Gunners' 2-1 victory over Chelsea.
In a controversial moment just five minutes into the match, the Brazilian clipped the head of Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez with his boot, yet no punishment was handed out.
The incident occurred inside Chelsea's penalty area, where Martinez had already claimed the ball. As Gabriel lay on the ground, he raised his leg and caught the goalkeeper. Referee Chris Kavanagh decided against issuing a card, and VAR did not recommend a review of the incident.
Discussing the incident on BBC Match of the Day, Rooney stated:
At first, you might not notice it, but then when you see the replay in slow motion... Martinez already has the ball, and Gabriel kicks him in the head. He swung his leg and lifted it very high. He was extremely lucky to remain on the pitch.
Former England defender Ashley Young echoed Rooney's sentiments:
When the ball is with Martinez, Gabriel raises his foot far too high. I don't understand why VAR didn't intervene and how carefully they reviewed the incident because he didn't even come close to the ball. He certainly got away with one there.
Ultimately, Arsenal clinched a comeback victory, having fallen behind early on to Morgan Rogers' goal. Mikel Arteta's side fought back with strikes from Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard, maintaining a perfect record after three games in the Premier League.
