Gabriel escapes red card: Is VAR ruining the rules, or are we misunderstanding them?

London, a tense Sunday afternoon at the Emirates Stadium. I was in the press area, taking notes on the match between Arsenal and Chelsea. The game was only five minutes old, but that moment had the entire stadium holding its breath. Gabriel Magalhaes, Arsenal's centre-back, during a frantic aerial challenge in the box, swung his leg high and kicked directly into the head of Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Martinez. Martinez lay on the ground in pain, requiring immediate medical attention. Referee Chris Kavanagh's view was obscured by the sheer number of bodies in the area. VAR, astonishingly, opted against recommending a pitchside monitor review. Chelsea were furious, TV pundits were stunned, and I, from the perspective of someone who has followed Japanese and European football for two decades, could only shake my head. This is not a mere mistake by the on-field referee, but a systemic failure of the VAR process. When technology is created to reduce errors, but instead becomes a tool to legitimize an obviously wrong decision, we must ask: Is VAR truly protecting the fairness of the game, or is it just protecting its own operational process? The context of this match only heightened the drama. Chelsea, under Xabi Alonso, had started the Premier League season perfectly with a 100% winning record. They arrived at the Emirates with immense confidence. Morgan Rogers, a former Arsenal target, put the visitors ahead in just the second minute, silencing the home crowd. Arsenal, the reigning champions, faced an early shock. But as I often see with top teams, their reaction is the true measure of their character. They didn't falter. Kai Havertz, a former Chelsea player, equalized at 1-1 midway through the first half with a cool finish. Then, captain Martin Odegaard, with a decisive strike in the second half, completed the remarkable comeback. Arsenal secured all three points, maintaining their perfect winning run. But the story of the match, as always, isn't just about the result. It lies in a controversial decision that could change the course of the entire season. Let's analyze this controversial incident more closely. According to data I've gathered, the incident occurred in the 5th minute. Martinez had the ball securely in his hands in a seated position. Gabriel, in a clearance attempt, didn't touch the ball but kicked the goalkeeper in the head. Referee Chris Kavanagh didn't give a foul because his view was blocked. VAR, led by the video assistant referee, reviewed the incident but decided not to recommend an on-field review. This means they didn't consider it a 'clear and obvious error' to warrant intervention. This is the crux of the matter. According to the laws of the game, playing in a dangerous manner or using excessive force can both result in a red card. A kick to the head of a goalkeeper when the ball is safely in his hands, with such force, is clearly a dangerous play. Wayne Rooney, the Manchester United legend, couldn't believe his eyes when commenting on BBC's Match of the Day: 'He's extremely lucky to stay on the pitch.' Ashley Young echoed the sentiment: 'I'm not sure why it hasn't gone to VAR... he's got away with one there.' From my experience watching hundreds of matches around the world, I notice a paradox unfolding. VAR, instead of making the game fairer, is creating a layer of 'immunity' for wrong decisions in 'grey' areas. On-field referees tend to rely on VAR, and VAR is overly cautious about intervening in situations they aren't 100% sure about. The result is that dangerous plays like Gabriel's go unpunished. I remember the summer of 2026, when I witnessed a similar situation in the J-League, where a player kicked a goalkeeper in the head but only received a yellow card. The Japanese public was very critical, and the Japan Football Association (JFA) had to make adjustments to their referee training process. But in the Premier League, considered the most exciting league on the planet, this issue seems to persist. I believe the core issue isn't whether to use VAR, but how we define 'clear and obvious'. A play where a player kicks a goalkeeper in the head, whether accidental or intentional, is clearly a dangerous situation. If VAR cannot recognize this, then their process has a serious problem. Rooney said no one saw it at first, but on replay, everything became clear. That is precisely the purpose of VAR: to review situations that the naked eye might miss. If VAR doesn't do that, it becomes meaningless. This is a procedural failure, and it raises questions about the competence of the video assistant referees. In an environment where every decision can affect millions of pounds and the outcome of an entire season, such ambiguity is unacceptable. On the tactical side, I want to emphasize that Arsenal showed admirable character. Conceding an early goal in the 2nd minute could have caused many other teams to collapse. But Arsenal, under Mikel Arteta's guidance, remained calm. They didn't rush, they controlled possession better, created more chances, and deserved the victory. Kai Havertz, who has been heavily criticized since joining Arsenal, put in an emotional performance against his former club. And Odegaard, the team's captain, showed the class of a champion. But I must also praise Xabi Alonso's Chelsea. Despite the loss, they showed a convincing attacking style. Morgan Rogers, a product of the youth academy, had a brilliant game. However, conceding two goals in a match they controlled well early on shows they still have defensive issues when facing significant pressure. What I want to emphasize here, and perhaps the most counter-intuitive angle, is that Arsenal may have benefited from a wrong VAR decision. But that doesn't diminish the value of their victory. They played better than Chelsea for most of the match. However, if Gabriel had been sent off, the game's outcome would certainly have been different. Arsenal might not have secured all three points. This reveals a harsh truth: in modern football, referee and VAR decisions can make a bigger difference than tactics and form. I once wrote in an analysis that 'Trophies are lifted in May, but decided on winter afternoons reading contracts' - and this also applies to referee decisions. A wrong decision in the fifth matchday can affect the title race in May. Looking ahead, Arsenal will enter their Champions League campaign with a difficult match against Napoli. This will be a real test of their ambitions in Europe. As for Chelsea, they will need to quickly lift their spirits when they face Leeds United in the League Cup. For me, this match has shown one thing very clearly: the Premier League remains the most exciting league in the world, not only for its professional quality but also for its never-ending controversies. And the biggest question remains open: When will we have a truly reliable VAR system? When will referees dare to make important decisions based on clear evidence? Or will we continue to see controversies like this repeat every season? That's a question I, as a journalist, still haven't found an answer to. But I know one thing for sure: without change, we will witness many more 'lucky' moments like Gabriel's, and football will drift further away from the fairness that is inherent to its core value.