‘Violent Act’ – Ex-Refs Chief: “Gabriel Magalhaes Shoud Not Have Been On The Pitch To Score The Arsenal’s Winning Goal”.

Former Premier League referees’ chief Keith Hackett has claimed Gabriel Magalhaes should not have been on the pitch to score Arsenal’s winning goal against Newcastle United. Hackett insists the Brazilian defender committed a “violent act” earlier in the game which went unpunished, describing it as an incident that VAR should have flagged.

The controversy centers around a clash between Gabriel and Nick Woltemade in Arsenal’s 2-1 win at St James’ Park on Sunday, 28 September. Woltemade had given Newcastle the lead in the 34th minute, only for late goals from Mikel Merino and Gabriel to hand Arsenal a dramatic comeback victory. However, Hackett believes Gabriel should have been shown a red card well before he netted the decisive goal.

Replays appear to show Gabriel striking out at Woltemade, making contact with the forward’s face during a tussle shortly after Newcastle’s opener. Hackett went as far as describing the action as a “punch,” arguing that the offence met the criteria for violent conduct and should have resulted in an immediate dismissal.

At the time of the incident, referee Jarred Gillett was running upfield in anticipation of a clearance from Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya. That meant the official was unsighted and failed to spot the altercation between Gabriel and Woltemade. VAR also took no action, leaving Newcastle frustrated by what they felt was a decisive refereeing error.

Speaking after the game, Woltemade himself downplayed the severity but confirmed the contact, stating: “I’m not the type of player who will fall down for this.” His refusal to exaggerate the moment may have contributed to the lack of immediate reaction from officials, but it has not stopped the video clip from spreading rapidly on social media.

Hackett, though, was unequivocal in his assessment. He told the media: “It’s quite clear that it should have been detected by VAR. I’m not exonerating the referee, but this is exactly why angles and video replays exist—to provide clarity when the referee can’t see everything.”

He added that the strike was a textbook red-card offence: “If a player puts his hands on another player’s neck or upwards, he is committing a red-card offence. Players are expected to play with their feet, not punch opponents. This was a clear strike on an opponent. VAR should have intervened, brought the referee to the monitor, and allowed him to make the correct decision.”