Arsenal may have won the London derby, but the biggest talking point from their 2-1 victory over Chelsea isn’t Martin Ødegaard’s winning goal.
It’s Gabriel Magalhães’ boot.
The Arsenal defender escaped punishment after his boot caught Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez in the face during a chaotic goalmouth scramble — an incident that immediately sparked questions about whether Gabriel should have been sent off.
And despite a VAR check, the Arsenal defender stayed on the pitch.
That decision is now getting plenty of attention.
What Happened?
The incident came early in the match after Chelsea had taken the lead through Morgan Rogers inside the opening two minutes.
Arsenal won a free kick and sent the ball into the box, creating a frantic scramble around Martínez.
As Gabriel tried to get to the loose ball, he went to ground and swung his leg toward it.
His boot made contact with Martínez’s face.
The Chelsea goalkeeper immediately went down and required treatment.
But referee Chris Kavanagh did not show Gabriel a card.
VAR then reviewed the incident for a possible red card and ultimately supported the referee’s decision. The Premier League’s explanation was that the action did not meet the threshold for serious foul play.
That hasn’t stopped the debate.
Should Gabriel Have Been Sent Off?
That’s the question doing the rounds.
From one angle, Gabriel was clearly attempting to play the ball during a messy six-yard-box situation. There was no obvious indication that he deliberately targeted Martínez.
But from another angle, the contact looked extremely dangerous.
Martínez had already secured the ball when Gabriel’s boot made contact with his face.
And when the slow-motion replay was shown, the incident looked even worse.
That’s why Chelsea supporters were left asking how Gabriel escaped without even a yellow card.
The important point, however, is that VAR did check the incident and did not determine that it reached the red-card threshold.
Arsenal Still Got the Job Done
Whatever you think about the decision, Arsenal didn’t let the controversy derail them.
Chelsea came flying out of the blocks.
Morgan Rogers fired the visitors ahead after just 77 seconds, giving Xabi Alonso’s side the perfect start.
But Arsenal responded.
Kai Havertz brought the Gunners level in the 25th minute before Ødegaard completed the comeback shortly after halftime.
The Arsenal captain finished a clever move involving Havertz to put the champions 2-1 ahead.
Chelsea pushed hard for an equalizer late on, but David Raya produced a huge save to deny substitute Estêvão and preserve the victory.
Arsenal Are Still Perfect
The victory means Arsenal have now won all three of their Premier League matches this season.
They sit level on nine points with Manchester City at the top of the table.
Chelsea, meanwhile, suffered their first defeat of the campaign and remain on six points.
But this wasn’t just another Arsenal win.
It was a statement against a Chelsea team that spent heavily during the summer and entered the match believing it could challenge for the title.
Arsenal fell behind.
They responded.
And they held on.
But That Gabriel Decision Isn’t Going Away
The result will eventually disappear into the standings.
The Gabriel incident probably won’t.
Chelsea fans will argue that Martínez was lucky not to be seriously hurt and that Gabriel should have received stronger punishment.
Arsenal supporters will point to the VAR review and argue that the contact happened during an attempt to play the ball rather than as a deliberate act of violence.
That’s what makes the incident so interesting.
There is room for debate.
And judging by the reaction already, this one isn’t going away anytime soon.
Arsenal got the three points.
But did Gabriel get away with one?
That’s the question everyone will be arguing about.
