Arsenal defender Gabriel should have been sent-off against Brentford, according to Keith Andrews.
Gabriel started and captained Arsenal in Thursday’s London derby at the Gtech Community Stadium and was shown a yellow card inside 20 minutes for a foul on Igor Thiago.
The Brazilian was then involved in another incident towards the end of the 1-1 draw as he conceded a free-kick for a wild swing that caught Brentford attacker Dango Ouattara.
While the majority inside the Gtech were calling for Gabriel to be sent-off for two bookable offences, Arsenal’s No6 avoided further punishment and stayed on to help the Gunners cling on for a point.
However, Andrews believes Gabriel was lucky to have not been shown a red card for his mis-timed tackle.
“It was a definite yellow, yeah,” Andrews told TNT Sports after the game. “It was a definite yellow.
“I just feel like the first few fouls always set the bar for how they referee the game, there’s always that level isn’t there and then it felt a few times in the first half we weren’t getting quite the rub of it.”
"It was a definite second yellow card" 😳
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 12, 2026
Was Gabriel lucky to stay on the pitch against Brentford? 🤔
🎙️ @lynseyhipgrave1 | 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/je1A9hbRnQ
Despite the decision, Andrews praised the performance of his Brentford players, insisting they looked the more likely side to go on and win the game.
"It was a game that had everything," he added. “There was a lot of action.
"In the first half, I thought we were brilliant, played really well and were the better team. In the first 15-20 minutes of the second half, they were very good and gained control of it, which they can do because they're a top team.
"They got the goal but the way we reacted to that with the spirit, character and ability we showed was outstanding. If any team was going to win it, I felt it was probably going to be us.
"We were pushing and consistently looking like the team that was going to go on and win it."
