Match Incident Overview
During a recent match at St James’ Park, Newcastle United’s new star signing Nick Woltemade voiced his displeasure over an incident involving Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães. This incident occurred during the second half of the game, which Newcastle ultimately lost 2-1 after Woltemade initially put his team ahead with a header in the 34th minute.
Woltemade’s Reaction
Woltemade, who recently joined Newcastle for a club-record fee of £65 million ($87 million) from VfB Stuttgart, expressed his reluctance to accept Gabriel’s apology after a controversial moment where he felt the defender’s elbow strike him in the face. This exchange appeared to take place off the ball and went unnoticed by match officials as well as VAR, raising concerns among spectators. Video evidence indicated Gabriel making contact with Woltemade during the game, heightening tensions between the players.
“I felt his elbow in my face from two meters away, so I know his arm had to be pretty high,” Woltemade relayed during a post-match interview with Sky Sports. He added, “It’s not right to experience something like that, but I’m not the type of player to go down easily. This isn’t my style of football.”
Refusal to Accept Apology
Woltemade rejected Gabriel’s subsequent attempt to reconcile, stating that simply apologizing moments after the incident does not justify the action.
“If you do something during the game and then right away apologize, that’s not part of football,” he emphasized. “I prefer to engage in a solid contest on the field, but violent conduct like elbowing should not happen.”
Post-Match Comments and Broader Context
After the match, Arsenal’s coach Mikel Arteta commented that he had not observed the confrontation between the two players, indicating a lack of awareness regarding the altercation that had seemingly overshadowed a competitive clash. This match also marked a broader narrative in the Premier League, where eight goals during injury time were recorded, a new league record. Additionally, the market is heating up with rumors of Liverpool targeting defender Jarrad Branthwaite, potentially competing with Manchester United for his signature.
