Gary Neville was already on Gabriel Magalhaes' back within minutes of Liverpool vs Arsenal. The Arsenal defender had clashed with Alexander Isak in the opening minutes at Anfield, and Gabriel went to ground clutching his face as early as the third minute on Merseyside.

Neville's criticism was blunt. "Gabriel does let himself down at times. I love his passion and tenacity. But there's a push into his upper chest and goes down holding his face. It's embarrassing. He's got to stop doing that," he said, as the incident drew immediate attention.

The Anfield flashpoint

The detail of the contact was not described the same way across the reporting. One account said the Premier League's priciest player made minimal contact with Gabriel's head, while another said the push was into his upper chest. VAR briefly reviewed the incident and stuck with Andy Madley's original decision.

That was the first real flashpoint of the night, and it lined up with what Gabriel had said before kickoff. He had warned of "big chaos" and called it "a big battle", saying Arsenal were ready for a difficult evening and a chance to get the three points.

Gabriel's warning before kickoff

Mikel Arteta had also talked up the importance of the trip to Anfield, but Gabriel's own pre-match comments gave the evening a sharper edge. He said, "We are ready for this battle today, we know it's going to be really difficult but we prepared well to come here and win. I expect big chaos in the game."

That warning looked less like pre-match theatre and more like a fair read of what followed in the opening spell. The clash with Isak, the reaction on the turf and Neville's response turned the first few minutes into the main talking point before the game had really settled.

Arsenal's selection made Gabriel's role more prominent too. William Saliba remained sidelined through injury, and Arteta put Gabriel at the heart of a back line that also featured Riccardo Calafiori, Ezri Konsa and Jurrien Timber. The defender was already carrying more of the load at the back, and the opening scuffle only put him under a brighter light.

Neville's view was the one that cut through, though. His complaint was not about the challenge itself so much as the reaction, and that is where this story sits now, with the pundit openly calling out Gabriel's behaviour before the rest of the match had even found a rhythm.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →