Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhães escaped any sanction during the Premier League 2026-27 season matchday 3 fixture between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium. Sixty-three seconds after Morgan Rogers gave Chelsea the lead, Gabriel accidentally struck goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez in the face during a goalmouth scramble. Referee Chris Kavanagh and VAR concluded, in line with IFAB Law 12, that the contact was incidental and unintentional, occurring during a legitimate attempt to play the ball. Martínez, Argentina’s first-choice goalkeeper, received treatment on the pitch before continuing the match. This decision highlights the high threshold required by VAR to overturn an on-field decision, even when contact appears alarming in slow motion.
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