Derby games have an emotional edge above the usual fixtures we watch in the Premier League. There’s a whole lot to play for, and it goes beyond just points. Bragging rights, pride, the spectacle of the event, the whole nine yards. So when a Derby match is soiled by cheating players and shambolic officiating, it leaves a very sour taste in the mouth. Despite all the complains, bitterness, despair and unhappiness displayed by those from the Arsenal camp, it doesn’t change the fact that the Gunners dropped three points but with Manchester City faltering against West Ham, the world has become a better place.
Even though the game is long gone, the chain of events that led to Gabriel Paulista’s wrongful dismissal have been on the spotlight, and the FA, in their infinite wisdom, have decided to take some retrospective action after studying the incident between Diego Costa and Gabriel Paulista. The FA released a statement,
“Diego Costa has been charged for an alleged act of violent conduct which was not seen by the match officials but caught on video.
“The Chelsea forward was involved in an incident with Arsenal’s Laurent Koscielny in the 43rd minute of the game. He has until 6pm today [September 22] to reply.
“Off the ball incidents which are not seen at the time by the match officials are referred to a panel of three former elite referees.
“Each referee panel member will review the video footage independently of one another to determine whether they consider it a sending-off offence. For retrospective action to be taken, and an FA charge to follow, the decision by the panel must be unanimous.
“Arsenal defender Gabriel has been charged with improper conduct for his behavior following his dismissal, whilst team-mate Santi Cazorla has been warned for his behavior following his sending off.
“Finally, both clubs have been charged for failing to control their players under FA Rule E20.
“Both clubs and Gabriel have until 6pm on Thursday [September 24] to reply.”
There have been mixed opinions about Gabriel’s dismissal and even the vice-captain, Per Mertesacker, shared his thoughts on the issue on an interview with a German TV,
“First of all, he [Costa] should have been sent off. That’s what should have happened above all. He went far too far and it seems that English referees lack the common sense that’s necessary. The officials certainly didn’t look good in this situation. Having said that, Gabriel can’t let himself be provoked and he should have been walked away from the scene by his team-mates. So we have to take responsibility for the situation, too.”
I was proud of Gabriel for standing up for his teammate when he was being bullied by that despicable character called Diego Costa. Some would say he was naive and he should have handled the situation better, but it was a heat of the moment stuff and football is about such moments. I’m pretty sure that a fiery character like Jack Wilshere would have done the same thing to defend Kos. Although, I’m saddened with the fact that Gabriel is set to face a suspension when he was getting a decent run out of games following Mertesacker’s recent fitness problems.
Gabriel will have to learn from this incident and “behave better” in the foreseeable future. On the bright side, the Gunners have enough depth in the side to make for the losses of Gabriel, Santi Cazorla and probably, Francis Coquelin.
Sayonara.
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