Paul Merson admits Gabriel’s winning goal for Arsenal at Tottenham should not have stood.

Arsenal won a hard-fought North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur by a tight 1-0 margin. However, the match-winning goal by Gabriel has sparked significant controversy. Former Arsenal player and current pundit, Paul Merson, along with Les Ferdinand, has voiced strong opinions that the goal should not have stood.

The decisive moment came in the second half when Gabriel rose above the Tottenham defense to head the ball into the net from a set piece. At first glance, the goal seemed legitimate, and there was little protest from the Tottenham players on the pitch. However, replays revealed a different story. Gabriel appeared to shove Tottenham defender Cristian Romero in the back before making contact with the ball.

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Paul Merson, speaking as a pundit on Sky Sports, did not hold back in his assessment. He stated that if he were in Romero’s position, he would have expected a foul to be called. “I’d be disappointed if I didn’t get a foul,” Merson said. “Romero is in the wrong position; everything about his defending is wrong. But even so, he gets shoved before Gabriel heads it. As a defender, you’ve got to be side-on, see the ball and the player, but that shove gave Gabriel the advantage”.

Les Ferdinand supported Merson’s comments, adding that while Romero’s defending could have been stronger, the shove was enough to disallow the goal. “I think if a centre forward does that, the referee gives a foul against him,” Ferdinand remarked. “It’s poor defending from Romero; he does need to be stronger, but he clearly gets a shove in the back. It’s one of those situations where I think Spurs fans have every right to feel aggrieved”.

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