The Independent Commission of Key Incidents in Matches officially found the actions of the head referee and VAR system correct in a high-profile episode involving Arsenal manager Gabriel and Chelsea goalkeeper Emi Martinez. The incident itself took place on June 6 during the hour of a busy match at Emirates Stadium (2:1).

During the hour of a massive fight for the ball at the penalty area, the left foot of the Brazilian defender of the Gunners hit Martinez directly in the face. Due to the unsafe nature of the situation, head referee Chris Kavanagh did not impose the usual disciplinary sanctions on the field, and VAR referee Darren England completely supported his decision.

After a detailed examination of the episode, the commission sided with the judicial team.

" A number of graves were on the ground, shaking and fighting for the loose ball, and Gabriel’s actions were not considered an act of violent behavior or seriously dishonest play,” the official statement reads..

It is significant that before the commission, which praised the decision, there are five representatives: three large football players and coaches, as well as one representative each from the Premier League and the judicial corps (Pro Ref).

If Gabriel's verdict is positive for the club, the Londoners will be deprived of any dissatisfaction with other decisions of the referee. At the beginning of this year, Arsenal officially upgraded to Pro Ref for clarification of the award of a penalty in their recent match against Sunderland, which took place on the 12th of Sunday (2:0).

The referees awarded a penalty kick to Ezri Konsa for shading Supernicks star Dan Ballard. This episode was a source of frustration for Gunners head coach Mikel Arteta, who publicly called the referee’s decision unpleasant.