Premier League organizers issued a statement on 20/4, supporting the refereeing team's handling of the situation. They emphasized that the Arsenal center-back's action was insufficient to warrant a direct red card. "The referee's decision not to issue a red card was reviewed and confirmed by VAR. Gabriel's action was not deemed aggressive or overly violent enough", the statement read.

In what was considered a season final, a title-deciding Premier League match at Etihad, Gabriel was tasked with closely marking Haaland, leading to many intense confrontations. One of these nearly resulted in an Arsenal defender receiving a red card in the 83rd minute.

Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes head-butts Man City forward Erling Haaland during a Premier League round 33 match at Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England on 19/4/2026. Photo: AP

At that moment, in an effort to contain him, Gabriel pulled Haaland down in the middle of the field. The Man City forward immediately got up and forcefully pushed the Arsenal defender away. Gabriel reacted strongly to his opponent's attitude. The Brazil international got close to Haaland's face and made a head-butting motion towards him.

Man City players immediately surrounded referee Anthony Taylor, demanding a red card. However, despite strong protests from the home side, the main referee and VAR both refused to send off Gabriel. Instead, both Gabriel and Haaland received yellow cards for the altercation.

In the match report submitted to the organizers, VAR referee John Brooks determined that Gabriel's contact with Haaland's head was "not considered aggressive or overly violent". He concurred with referee Taylor's on-field assessment.

This decision sparked mixed reactions, particularly when compared to Manchester United center-back Lisandro Martinez receiving a red card for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin's hair from Leeds United in a 1-2 loss at Old Trafford on 14/4.

Former referee Mark Halsey, speaking to British newspaper SunSport, agreed with the on-field decision. However, this expert also suggested that Haaland "did Gabriel a big favor by staying on his feet".

Haaland himself admitted that his decision not to fall down helped Gabriel avoid a red card. "I think if I had fallen, which I would never do unless truly attacked, it probably would have been a red card", the Man City forward said after the match. "Anyway, it's over now, and I won't try to dramatize it. The only thing is I got a yellow card for no reason; he was the one who came at my face first. But that's football".

In Man City's 2-1 victory at Etihad, Haaland scored the winning goal in the 65th minute. This result reduced Guardiola's team's lead to three points, and they still have one game in hand.

Ha Phuong compiled