Wayne Rooney slams Gabriel for 'lucky' escape in Chelsea win
Wayne Rooney believes Arsenal defender Gabriel was fortunate to avoid a red card following a high challenge on Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Author: Ank kumar
Arsenal secured a tense victory over Chelsea in a London derby marked by a controversial officiating decision. Just five minutes into the match, defender Gabriel Magalhaes caught Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the head during a scramble in the penalty box.
Referee Chris Kavanagh did not see the incident clearly, and the VAR team opted against calling for a pitchside review, leaving many observers and Chelsea players frustrated.
You don’t really see it at first sight but then when you see a replay and they slow it down, Martinez has got the ball in his hands and Gabriel boots him in the head. He’s extremely lucky to stay on the pitch. Wayne Rooney
Former Arsenal player Ashley Young shared Rooney's view, noting that Gabriel was nowhere near the ball when he made the high challenge. Both pundits questioned why the process failed to intervene in such a dangerous situation.
Despite an early goal from Morgan Rogers, Arsenal maintained control and turned the game around. Kai Havertz leveled the score before Martin Odegaard netted the decisive winner. The Gunners now focus on their upcoming Champions League test against Napoli, while Chelsea prepares for a League Cup clash against Leeds United.