Arsenal to appeal for Gabriel's suspension to be reduced citing case of Chelsea's Nemanja Matic
The Brazilian defender was sent off against Chelsea on Saturday
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Your support makes all the difference.Arsenal are prepared to ask the Football Association to reduce Gabriel's ban from three games to two.
The Brazilian defender was sent off during his side's clash with Chelsea on Saturday after tangling with opposition striker Diego Costa, who has been widely criticised for his deliberate provocation of Gabriel.
The north London club will ask the FA to follow the precedent set in a case involving Nemanja Matic last season.
On that occasion, the Chelsea midfielder had a suspension reduced after reacting angrily to a dangerous tackle by Ashley Barnes.
The governing body's panel took into account that Matic had been provoked by Barnes' hefty challenge and used a moderate "level of force" when pushing the Burnley player over.
Should Gabriel's ban be reduced, he would only miss his side's fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur in the Capital One Cup and the trip to Leicester City in the Premier League.
The 24-year-old would then be available for Arsenal's upcoming meeting with Manchester United at the Emirates.
The club will decide whether to appeal the length of the ban once referee Mike Dean's report has been reviewed by the FA on Monday.
Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger will not face disciplinary charges despite describing Dean's performance as "naive", it is understood.
"For me, it is always in provocation and he uses well the naivety of Mike Dean today," Wenger said after the defeat.
"Look at the pictures, it tells you a lot on slow motion. Before the cross comes in he hits him," he continued.
"The fact is surprising that Diego Costa got away with what he did, that we go into half-time with a red card and he stays on the pitch.
"They [referees] are professional people, and they have to make the right decision."
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