Gabriel red card rescinded, suspension withdrawn immediately

The FA has upheld Arsenal's claim of wrongful dismissal regarding Gabriel's red card Saturday in the match against Chelsea. As a result, Gabriel no longer has to serve a three-match suspension and is eligible to play tomorrow in the Capital One Cup tie versus Tottenham.

It is important to note that Gabriel still faces a charge of improper conduct for his behavior following the sending-off. He has until Thursday evening to present his case for that charge.

This is a somewhat surprising turn of events, I must say. While it seemed logical for the FA to downgrade the "violent conduct" red card for Gabriel's weak attempt at kicking Diego Costa, to entirely uphold the wrongful dismissal claim and revoke the red card entirely was a proposition few Arsenal fans thought possible. It is likely, however, that Gabriel will face a suspension for his conduct after the red card was shown considering he stayed on the pitch yelling and screaming for awhile. Importantly, no matter what penalty is doled out for that charge, Gabriel can spell Laurent Koscielny tomorrow. This allows the French centerback to take a breather after three matches in the span of a week, two of which involved being down a man for more than a half.

All in all, a one match suspension, plus the sending off, would be more-than-fair punishment for the Brazilian's inability to control his emotions Saturday.