Arsenal are to ask the Football Association to reduce Gabriel Paulista’s three-match ban in the wake of the Brazilian’s red card during Saturday’s fractious derby defeat at Chelsea.
Gabriel’s ban on a charge of violent conduct will commence with Wednesday’s Capital One Cup tie at Tottenham Hotspur after the defender flicked out a heel at Diego Costa in stoppage time at the end of the first half at Stamford Bridge. That flashpoint had come immediately after the pair had been booked after a clash in the Arsenal penalty area, with the referee, Mike Dean, consulting one of his assistants before producing the red card.
Arsenal will await written notice of the Brazilian’s punishment but are then expected to return to the FA to argue the suspension down, citing the example of Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic, dismissed for his reaction to a tackle from Burnley’s Ashley Barnes in February. The Serb was sent off for violent conduct following Barnes’ reckless challenge, but had his ban reduced from three games to two by an appeals commission which confirmed that the “level of force” in the incident justified a reduction in the sanction. Chelsea released a statement after that process claiming to be “appalled” that the ban had not been reduced to one game.
The FA is scrutinising Dean’s match report on Monday before determining whether Costa should face retrospective punishment for his clash with Laurent Koscielny two minutes from half-time. That incident, when the forward put his hands in his marker’s face and then swung his left arm round and made further contact, had effectively provoked the clash with Gabriel, who had initially appeared to intervene as a peacemaker only to become embroiled in his own spat with the Chelsea forward.
If Dean confirms he witnessed the original clash between Koscielny and Costa and decided it did not warrant action – or, indeed, explains that he booked the striker for his involvement in that incident rather than for the subsequent clash with Gabriel – then the Spain forward will not face punishment.
Arsène Wenger, meanwhile, will not face FA sanction for suggesting Dean was guilty of “naivety” in his handling of Costa, comments which had been interpreted in some quarters as the Frenchman calling into question Dean’s integrity. The Arsenal manager had gone on to say: “I tell you something, if I am a referee and I referee Diego Costa, I do not send somebody off quickly if he responds because you know he has been well provoked.” But it is understood the FA is content he did not breach its regulations.
