Viral footage from the 2026 FA Community Shield has sparked renewed debate involving Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães and manager Mikel Arteta.
The images show Gabriel involved in a physical confrontation with Manchester City centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov, while Arteta can be seen reacting angrily from the touchline during Arsenal’s emphatic 3-0 win.
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The incident took place around the 13th or 14th minute at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, with Arsenal already 1-0 ahead.
During a set-piece inside Manchester City’s box, Gabriel appeared to have both hands on Khusanov, with contact around the defender’s neck, chest and shoulder.
The Arsenal defender then fell to the ground and appealed for a penalty.
On the touchline, Arteta was visibly furious, shouting and making animated gestures towards the fourth official as he called for a spot-kick and VAR intervention.
Gabriel was spotted grabbing Khusanov by the neck, chest and shoulder before going down and appealing for a penalty, while Mikel Arteta was seen shouting at the fourth official for a spot-kick.#football #FootballFans #Arsenal #mancityfc #MatchHighlights pic.twitter.com/0DsKfBDWE4
— Jeremiah Jeremy 💙🇰🇪 (@jeremyjeremiah0) August 17, 2026
The referee checked the situation with VAR, but the game was allowed to continue after officials determined that the contact was not enough to warrant a penalty.
However, supporters of rival clubs and neutral viewers have viewed the incident differently, accusing Gabriel of creating the contact before going down and “selling” the challenge in an attempt to win a penalty.
Arsenal controlled much of the game from the opening whistle. Riccardo Calafiori opened the scoring after only 24 seconds, registering one of the quickest goals ever seen in the Community Shield.
Kai Havertz doubled Arsenal’s advantage with a header in the 28th minute, before captain Martin Ødegaard completed the scoring shortly after the restart.
The victory secured Arsenal’s 18th Community Shield triumph and provided an early statement ahead of their Premier League title defence.
The incident also triggered strong reactions from rival supporters, particularly fans of Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea. Some described the episode as “cheating,” “strangling then diving” and “typical Arsenal.”
Others referenced Gabriel’s reputation for physical battles and previous controversies, while Arteta’s passionate behaviour on the touchline also came under scrutiny.
Several comments accused the Arsenal pair of deliberately attempting to deceive officials and complained that similar incidents continue to occur.
There was also another diving controversy later in the match involving Calafiori.
The Arsenal defender was shown a yellow card for simulation after going down following what appeared to be minimal contact with Khusanov.
