Arsenal vs Liverpool: Did Henderson racially abuse Gabriel, forcing Xhaka to react? FA investigates 'incident'

Emirates Stadium erupted on Sunday after Arsenal registered a 3-2 victory over Liverpool in their Premier League clash, taking the Gunners back on top of the table. 

Gabriel Martinelli scored a sensational opening goal in under 1 minute, and Bukayo Saka scored the remaining two goals, including a penalty kick, to help Mikel Arteta's men elevate past Manchester City after nine games in the league.

Also read: EPL 2022-23: 'Liverpool is not in the title race' - Jurgen Klopp after Arsenal defeat

Liverpool had twice come back from deficits to draw the game when Arsenal was awarded a penalty kick with 15 minutes left for Thiago Alcantara's foul on Gabriel Jesus, which had minimal contact but was upheld by VAR.

And then the drama unfolded.

Following the decision, there was a flashpoint as tempers flared, involving players from both sides, most notably Jordan Henderson, Gabriel Magalhaes and Granit Xhaka. The Liverpool midfielder and Arsenal defender were engaged in a heated verbal altercation, after which the Brazilian spoke to referee Michael Oliver. In the meantime, Xhaka exchanged heated words with the Englishman before players from both sides tried to diffuse the situation.

The referee then went to the touchline to speak with Mikel Arteta and Jurgen Klopp before the game continued. In this post-match interview, the Liverpool boss said he was 'not allowed' to divulge any details of what happened. Meanwhile, the Arsenal manager stated, "It was an incident that happened. Whatever happens on that pitch stays on that pitch."

The FA announced last evening that it is now reviewing the incident with Olivier and his match officials. "We are aware of an incident that took place during the match between Arsenal and Liverpool. We are in dialogue with the match officials and will review the details of the incident," an FA spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, angry fans took to Twitter even as a massive public outrage ensued. Several users believe that Henderson racially abused Gabriel and condemned the Englishman for his behaviour. Some noted Xhaka's reaction to the entire situation and lauded the Swiss player for standing up against what they believed was an act of racism.

Also read: What sets Arsenal boss Arteta apart from Man City's Guardiola? Gabriel Jesus reveals in major admission

'No room for racism' is a campaign strongly advocated by the Premier League, and several fans urged FA to take stringent action against the Liverpool midfielder if he did racially abused the Brazilian defender. Here's a look at some of the reactions: