Arsenal hosted Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on October 9th, 2022 in the Premier League.
The match witnessed was one of the best games of football in recent times as the 22 men played out a fiery & entertaining fixture.
The Gunners took the lead in the very first minute, with Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli drawing the first blood.
Liverpool’s summer signing Darwin Nunez restored parity as he headed in a cross past Aaron Ramsdale to make it 1-1 just after the half-an-hour mark.
Alisson was beaten again seconds before the half-time whistle as Bukayo Saka hit The Reds on the counter and re-established the one-goal lead.
Another Brazilian, Roberto Firmino pulled one back for the visitors from Diogo Jota’s through ball to turn the game into a battle around 53 minutes.
But the hosts were to have the last laugh as Gabriel Jesus was fouled in the Liverpool penalty box by Thiago in the 74th minute, earning him a spot-kick. Saka stepped up and calmly slotted the ball into the back of the net, scoring his second and the winning goal in the process.
The whirlwind of a match ended with a 3-2 defeat for Jurgen Klopp’s troops.
Although many incidents occurred throughout the 90 minutes, one instance forced referee Michael Oliver to speak to Klopp and his opposing number Mikel Arteta.
After the penalty was awarded to Arsenal, tempers flared as both sets of players clashed, expressing their opinions on the decision made by the referee.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson & Arsenal defender Gabriel seemed to be at each other’s throats which prompted their teammates and Michael Oliver to step in and take control of the situation.
Cards were not brandished but immediately after, he ran to the technical area and called both managers for a lengthy conversation.
Nothing more was made of the matter but a thorough investigation was conducted by The FA as a result of the complaints which were made post the match.
In the official statement put out by the governing body, they confirmed that no disciplinary actions will be taken against either player after their recently concluded examination, with help from linguistic professionals, witnesses, and statements from both Gabriel and Henderson.
As per the Daily Mail, the English midfielder is alleged to have called the Brazilian a “f*ucking idiot”. That was not serious enough for The FA to be involved but there was confusion as Gabriel misheard Henderson and assumed he used a Portuguese slur.
Reports have emerged, claiming that Henderson isn’t well-versed enough in the language to actually insult Gabriel, which is why the investigation was concurred to be devoid of dishing out any punishment.
“None of the witnesses heard the alleged comment, and the accused player strenuously denied the allegation.” was quoted from an FA spokesperson, “While the FA is entirely satisfied that the allegation was made in good faith, it is equally satisfied that there is no case to answer.”
We love to see any evenly, contested match with a few boiling points scattered around as long as it remains within the stipulated regulations.
Well, so does the players, the fans, The FA, and everyone else. Abuse in any form will not be tolerated and the Gabriel-Henderson spat should serve as a reminder that these days, nothing goes unnoticed.
