GABRIEL WINS RED CARD APPEAL

GABRIEL PAULISTA has escaped a three-match ban after Arsenal convinced an independent disciplinary panel that his kick on Diego Costa did not merit a red card. The Brazilian central defender became locked in a row with Costa after the Chelsea striker had felled Laurent Koscielny, during the first half of Saturday’s game at Stamford Bridge. They were both booked but the two Portuguese speakers continued their verbal exchange as they moved down the pitch and waited for play to restart. Gabriel lifted his foot so that his studs made contact with Costa, who was behind him. Costa claimed it was a deliberate kick and referee Mike Dean agreed, dismissing Gabriel (below) with a straight red card for violent conduct, which carries an automatic threematch ban. Arsenal compiled video footage from different angles to prove there was no contact made and question whether it had been done on purpose. They won their case, with the FA’s independent commission overturning the red card yesterday. The three unnamed commissioners on the panel have not explained the decision but agreed the act was not in itself a redcard offence. This will not have gone down well at Chelsea, where Jose Mourinho has often claimed there is a

conspiracy against his team. It also undermines the authority of Dean and his officials who had acted on what they saw at the time. Dean mimed the kick as he showed the red card. And it allows Gabriel off the hook — at least for the time being. He is still faced with a charge of improper conduct relating to his reaction to the red card, when he refused to leave the pitch and had to be dragged away from Chelsea players by his team-mates. He has until 6pm tomorrow to reply to this charge, which could result in a ban.