Arsenal's Gabriel Initially Credited, Goal Review Reverses Decision

 Arsenal's Gabriel Initially Credited, Goal Review Reverses Decision

Arsenal's Ben White, Kai Havertz, Gabriel, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard defend a Crystal Palace free-kick during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium on January 20, 2024 in London, England(Image-Getty)

In Arsenal's commanding 5-0 triumph over Crystal Palace, defender Gabriel was initially credited with the second goal. During a corner in the 37th minute, Gabriel's header deflected off Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson and into the net.

Initially, Opta, the Premier League's official data partner, attributed the goal to Gabriel. However, under the Premier League Goal Accreditation Panel protocols, when uncertainty arises over the scorer's identification, a three-person panel at the Premier League Match Centre reviews the incident.

Upon review, they concluded that Gabriel's header would not have entered the net without striking Henderson, leading to the accreditation of an own goal by the Palace goalkeeper.

Despite the initial decision, Arsenal lodged an appeal. Following the Premier League's goal appeal protocol, a further panel of three football experts, the Premier League’s Goal Accreditation Appeals Panel, reviewed the incident and determined that the goal should indeed be credited to Gabriel.

Regarding Fantasy Premier League, decisions made by the Premier League’s Goal Accreditation Appeals Panel do not impact the points awarded to players. According to the "Scoring" section of the FPL rules, points awarded during a match are subject to change until one hour after the final whistle of the last match of the day. Once all points are updated on that day, no further adjustments are made.