Terry questions Chelsea reaction over incident that could have affected Arsenal

John Terry has criticised Chelsea’s reaction to the controversial incident involving Gabriel Magalhaes and Emiliano Martinez during Arsenal’s 2-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium.

Gabriel caught Martinez in the head with his boot during a chaotic goalmouth scramble shortly after Chelsea had taken an early lead through Morgan Rogers.

Referee Chris Kavanagh penalised Gabriel but produced no card, while VAR decided the contact was accidental and did not recommend an on-field review.

Terry believes Chelsea should have put far greater pressure on the officials at the time.

Chelsea should have demanded Gabriel red card

Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former Chelsea captain argued that Gabriel’s challenge deserved stronger punishment and felt the visitors were too passive in their response.

“The Emi Martinez-Gabriel incident – when he clearly kicks him in the head. I watched the game at home yesterday. I didn’t think there was too much in it first of all, but slowed down, he clearly completely misses the ball and connects with Emi Martinez in the head,” Terry said on his YouTube channel.

“These are the moments in games. Now, again, I think Arsenal do this the best in the league in terms of the dark arts and managing games and circumstances like this.

“This was a big opportunity. I think Joao Pedro and [Jorrel] Hato are the two closest players to him. My first thing was as a player, if I’m close to that straight away, my instinct goes ‘referee he has just been kicked in the f***ing head! That’s a blatant red.’
pic.twitter.com/5icTyXMmh9

— The Final Whistle (@Rufus_45) September 6, 2026

How this was not a foul? Gabriel kicking Martinez on head, should have been straight RED. #ARSCHE pic.twitter.com/5icTyXMmh9

— The Final Whistle (@Rufus_45) September 6, 2026

The Premier League’s explanation was that Gabriel’s actions did not meet the threshold for serious foul play.

talkSPORT reported that VAR reviewed the incident and supported the on-field decision because the contact was considered accidental during a genuine attempt to play the ball.

Terry’s bigger point is about game management

Whether Gabriel deserved a red card remains debatable, but Terry’s wider point is interesting.

Elite teams regularly try to influence key moments by immediately surrounding officials or making sure controversial incidents receive maximum attention.

Arsenal eventually recovered to win 2-1, meaning the decision naturally feels even more significant from Chelsea’s perspective.

However, blaming the defeat on one incident would be too simplistic. Chelsea still led the match and had opportunities to manage the game better.

Terry’s criticism therefore says as much about Chelsea’s mentality as it does the refereeing.