Arsenal and Tottenham heroes agree Gabriel goal should not have stood in north London derby

Gabriel was fortunate to spot his extremity basal successful the northbound London derby connected Sunday, judge Arsenal leader Paul Merson and erstwhile Tottenham prima Les Ferdinand.

The Brazilian defender scored the lone extremity of the crippled arsenic the Gunners picked up a captious distant triumph contempt being without cardinal players Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard.

It was a frustrating day for Spurs arsenic they had plentifulness of possession and efforts connected goal, but struggled to interruption down a disciplined Arsenal broadside and didn’t make galore clear-cut chances.

It was besides a vexation for the location fans arsenic they conceded a consecutive guardant extremity from a set-piece arsenic Gabriel headed successful the victor and frustrations volition person turned to choler aft seeing the replay.

The Arsenal antheral intelligibly shoved Spurs defender Cristian Romero successful the backmost to marque country for himself earlier the header, which adjacent Gunners icon Merson admitted was a foul.

‘I’d beryllium disappointed if I didn’t get a foul,’ Merson told Sky Sports. ‘He [Romero] is successful the incorrect position, everything is incorrect astir his defending.

‘He’s a centre fractional international, adjacent I cognize and I don’t adjacent play astatine the backmost you got to beryllium broadside on. You got to spot the shot and your player.

‘To commencement disconnected you person to beryllium a manus magnitude distant and he’s lasting with him. I’d expect a foul.’

Ferdinand agreed, saying helium was amazed that VAR didn’t person thing to accidental connected the issue.

‘I deliberation if a centre guardant does that, the referee gives a foul against him,’ said the erstwhile Spurs striker.

‘They don’t adjacent look astatine it . He does request to beryllium stronger. It’s mediocre defending but helium does get a shove successful his back.’

Arsenal fable Ian Wright was not rather truthful wide chopped connected the decision, but admitted it could person been fixed arsenic a free-kick to Spurs.

‘I was precise amazed with Romero, it feels precise casual for a defender of his calibre to beryllium moved retired of the way,’ Wright told Premier League Productions.

‘I deliberation it could person been a foul but not capable maybe. That conscionable seems precise elemental erstwhile you look astatine the proximity from the extremity and wherever helium headed it in, It’s a precise casual extremity for Arsenal to score.’

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