- Arsenal defender Gabriel appeared to headbutt Erling Haaland
- The Brazilian avoided a red card
- Many big names are saying he should have been sent off
Several leading pundits, along with the former PGMOL chief, have claimed Arsenal defender Gabriel deserved a red card for his altercation with Manchester City striker Erling Haaland on Sunday.
In a pivotal fixture in this year’s title race, Man City beat Arsenal 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium to move to within three points of the Gunners while maintaining a game in hand.
Goals from Rayan Cherki and Haaland were enough for the win, despite Arsenal’s Kai Havertz equalising after an uncharacteristic error from Gianluigi Donnarumma.
There were plenty of talking points from the game, with the incident between Haaland and Gabriel among the most widely discussed after the final whistle.
Ex-PGMOL chief says Gabriel should have been sent off
With City leading 2-1 in the closing stages, Gabriel and Haaland competed for an aerial duel, with the Arsenal defender fouling the Norwegian.
Haaland stood up and shoved Gabriel, who responded with what appeared to be a headbutt. However, the Arsenal man escaped a sending off, something former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett disagreed with.
"He's very lucky"
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 19, 2026
Should Gabriel have seen red? 🟥 pic.twitter.com/pDjN7OfvFB
He told Football Insider: “Referee Anthony Taylor took a very lenient view when Gabriel used his forehead against his opponent. Gabriel’s movement was sufficient to warrant a red card.”
Hackett, who refereed in the Premier League from 1992-94, is regarded as one of the best referees of all time, and was appointed head of the PGMOL (professional game match official’s board) in 2004.
Pundits agree over Gabriel red card incident
Several leading pundits also took a dim view of Gabriel’s actions. Former Match of the Day host Gary Lineker discussed the incident alongside ex-Premier League stars Alan Shearer and Micah Richards on their The Rest is Football podcast.
All three were in agreement that Gabriel should have been sent off, with the trio shocked and confused at the referee’s decision not to dismiss the defender.
🗣️ @AlanShearer: "I think Haaland done Gabriel a right favour by not going to the ground!"
— The Rest Is Football (@RestIsFootball) April 20, 2026
Should Gabriel have gotten a red card for his headbutt on Haaland? 👀🟥 pic.twitter.com/9i6SIrgxAr
“How on earth is that not a red card?” said Shearer. “Seriously, what is going on in our game with VAR? I think Haaland has done Gabriel a favour by not going to the ground, because so many other players would have gone to the ground when he stuck his head into his. Clear red card it should have been.”
Lineker echoed Shearer, adding: “I agree, it was a red card,” while former City defender Micah Richards also shared the views of his colleagues.
Richards said: “By the laws of the game, he [Gabriel] should have been sent off, we all know that. Because there was so much back and forth, as a viewer and someone impartial watching the game, you don’t want to see someone get sent off for that.”
Should Gabriel have been sent off?
Like Shearer, Lineker and Richards, TalkSport duo Ally McCoist and Jeff Stelling agreed that Gabriel was incredibly lucky to stay on the field.
Stelling said: “The PGMOL make it up as they go along,” while McCoist added that Gabriel was “Lucky! 99 times of out of 100 he’s getting sent off!”
However, not everyone holds the same opinion. Ex-Premier League ref Dermot Gallagher was among those claiming Gabriel should not have been sent off.
The overwhelming opinion, though, appears to be that the Arsenal defender deserved a red card for his actions at the Etihad on Sunday.
