Ex-Arsenal star sees red and sparks brawl with violent tackle on Vinicius Jr

03 February 2023 , 00:00

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Gabriel Paulista's poor challenge triggered a mass brawl on Thursday night (Image: Getty Images)

Former Arsenal defender Gabriel Paulista was sent off on Thursday night after producing a shocking challenge on Vinicius Junior.

The incident happened in the 72nd minute of Real Madrid's 2-0 win against Valencia at the Bernabeu. Vinicius was brutally kicked to the floor by Gabriel after he skipped past the defender. Referee Javier Alberola Rojas was left with no choice but to show a red card.

Vinicius was understandably furious with Gabriel's challenge and immediately got back to his feet to confront the Valencia star. Several players then got involved in a scrap, with Vinicius needing to be calmed down by his team-mate Aurelien Tchouameni.

Rodrygo was among the Brazilians to confront Gabriel. Eder Militao, who was brought off earlier in the game, also spoke to Gabriel as he made his way down the tunnel. Real were already 2-0 up by this point, which is perhaps why Gabriel lost his composure.

Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois called for referees to offer attacking players more protection during his post-match interview. He said: "You have to protect Vinicius a little. He’s a very expressive guy, he dribbles and the defenders don’t like that.

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"In many matches, opponents have given him many kicks. I’m happy that the referee had the courage to send Paulista off."

Gabriel Paulista was sent off for a shocking tackle on Vinicius Junior (Getty Images)

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Thursday night's result leaves champions Real second in the LaLiga table - five points behind leaders Barcelona. Valencia, meanwhile, are in a worrying position. Gabriel's side are 14th in the table but just one point above the relegation zone.

Courtois also expressed his delight at keeping a third consecutive clean sheet in LaLiga. Real still have 19 fixtures remaining to catch bitter rivals Barcelona, who have dropped just two points from their last 10 LaLiga games and lost just once in the league all season.

Courtois added: "We have had three games with a clean sheet, but I would have preferred to concede [against Real Sociedad in their previous LaLiga fixture, which ended in a goalless draw] and win. We have improved defensively. It was a good match today."

Vinicius was furious with Gabriel (Getty Images)

Arsenal fans will remember Gabriel for his unconvincing two-and-a-half-year spell at the Emirates between January 2015 and August 2017. Although he won two FA Cups and the Community Shield, the Brazilian, now 32, managed just 46 Premier League games.

Gabriel faced plenty of criticism during his time at the Emirates. After a disappointing display against Crystal Palace in April 2017, Jamie Carragher said: "Look at Gabriel’s eyes on [Christian] Benteke. Benteke only has eyes for the ball. Gabriel is absolutely terrified."

Real's next LaLiga game is a at Mallorca on Sunday before they travel to Morocco for the Club World Cup. The Champions League holders will enter the tournament at the semi-final stage and are expected to win it for a record fifth time.

Tom Blow