Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes escaped a red card in Sunday's 2-1 defeat to Manchester City, despite a heated clash with Erling Haaland.
In a controversial episode in the second half, Gabriel appeared to headbutt the Norwegian striker.
However, referee Anthony Taylor only gave him a yellow card, a decision that was also supported by the VAR led by John Brooks.
The Premier League later officially confirmed the decision in a statement on the X network, saying that Gabriel's intervention was "not considered too aggressive or violent" to justify a red card.
The decision sparked a lot of reactions. Former Arsenal player Perry Groves said that Gabriel "avoided a serious punishment", adding that Haaland showed prudence by not reacting.
Former Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew also expressed surprise, recalling that he himself had been severely punished for a similar incident in the past.
Meanwhile, Haaland himself was cautious in his post-match statement. He acknowledged that it was a tense situation, but said he was unsure about the referee's decision and added that he would not be easily disheartened in such cases, leaving the episode on a diplomatic note./Express newspaper/
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