Gabriel Martinelli expressed concerns over a late tackle by Christian Nørgaard during the match between Arsenal and Brentford at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. The foul that led to the red card came in the 28th minute when Nørgaard tried to stop Martinelli’s run on a quick break. Following the game, Martinelli gave an interview to Sky Sports. He said the ankle tackle might have broken his leg.
The tone on the touchline was made worse by the wild reactions from Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta, who was sent off after angrily protesting the foul. His animated reaction underscored his anger at the referee’s decision not to show a red card for what many perceived as a reckless challenge. The moment soon became a rallying cry, both to raise the event’s profile and among outraged fans seeking justice. The match concluded with a thrilling 1-1 tie.
In an effort to make amends, Nørgaard tried to make amends with Martinelli during the half-time break in the tunnel. Martinelli brusquely waved off the surprise move. He calmly and clearly explained that he did not wish to answer questions about the incident at that time. A source later corroborated to ESPN that Nørgaard had tried to apologize for the tackle.
In the aftermath of the game, Brentford’s manager, Thomas Frank, responded to Martinelli’s remarks regarding the tackle. He conceded that, although Martinelli is entitled to feel aggrieved, he felt the foul being challenged was worthy of a yellow card at worst.
“That is his opinion. I thought it was a strong yellow but it was a yellow.” – Thomas Frank
The brawl took the spotlight away from what was a sloppy game from both teams, with neither side able to take advantage of multiple scoring chances. The penalty shoot-out draw was probably a fair result, but it left Arsenal and Brentford regretting what might have been a more definitive finish.
Following the game, Arteta commented on the fitness level of his players. He any lack of knowledge about the squad’s circumstances ahead of those fixtures.
“Again, we don’t know. So he could not be in condition to be in the squad today and be selected. So we have a few days but we’ll have to wait and see.” – Mikel Arteta
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