Rooney Says Arsenal's Gabriel Was "Extremely Lucky" to Avoid Red Card Against Chelsea

Wayne Rooney says Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes should count himself lucky he wasn't sent off for kicking Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the head, an incident that happened just six minutes into Arsenal's win on Sunday.

Arsenal came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 in the Premier League, but the win was overshadowed by the moment when Gabriel caught Martinez in the head with his boot and stayed on the pitch.

Chelsea took an early lead through Morgan Rogers just two minutes in. Arsenal answered with goals from Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard to complete the turnaround and keep their unbeaten start to the season intact.

The incident happened during a scramble at a set piece, with Gabriel on the ground challenging Chelsea's Jorrel Hato for the ball. His boot caught Martinez in the head while the goalkeeper already had the ball in his hands, and Martinez needed treatment before play could continue. Referee Chris Kavanagh waved play on, and the decision stood after a VAR review.

Speaking on Match of the Day, former England striker Wayne Rooney became the first big-name pundit to publicly say Gabriel deserved a red card. "When you see the replay and slow it down, Martinez has got the ball in his hands and they boot him in the head," Rooney said. 

"He's got the ball in two hands, he's way over the top of the ball and he boots him in the head. So I think he's extremely lucky to stay on the pitch."

Rooney's fellow pundit Ashley Young backed him up, saying the pair had discussed the moment as it happened. "When the ball's on the floor there and you see Martinez has got it in his hands, Gabriel kicks so high and kicks him in the head when his head's up there," Young said. 

He added that he wasn't sure why the incident wasn't sent to VAR for a closer look, saying, "he's nowhere near the ball. So I think he's got away with one there."

Not everyone agreed with the pundits. Former referees' chief Keith Hackett defended the decision, telling Football Insider that the referee probably never had a clear view of the challenge. He said Gabriel's action "showed no malice" and that he saw it as accidental, adding that VAR was right not to intervene.

Despite the criticism, Gabriel finished the game unpunished and helped keep Chelsea's front three of Rogers, Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer quiet. He was involved in a second contentious moment later in the match too, appearing to bump Pedro Neto off the ball near the corner flag, though that also went unpunished.

Gabriel has often been a target for rival fans, and was recently called the "most overrated player in the Premier League" by former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor. 

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, though, had no complaints, praising his side's second-half turnaround after going behind early. "It was an exceptional performance," he said. "I enjoyed every minute from beginning to end, and the beginning was tough. But the team responded in a spectacular way."

The win kept Arsenal's perfect start to the season alive, with three wins from three games.