Newcastle forward Nick Woltemade has addressed a contentious moment on the pitch involving Arsenal defender Gabriel, where he appeared to be struck in the face by an elbow.
The Magpies endured a heartbreaking 2-1 loss at St. James’ Park on Sunday evening, courtesy of a late Arsenal comeback.
Woltemade initially put Newcastle ahead with a powerful header in the first half, capitalizing on a slight shove against Gabriel to gain an advantage.
Nevertheless, Arsenal turned the tide in the second half, with Mikel Merino and Gabriel netting crucial late goals to secure a remarkable turnaround.
Woltemade Reflects on the Incident
Despite the intensity of the challenge, Woltemade remained upright after Gabriel’s elbow seemingly made contact with his face, yet the defender was not penalized.
In a post-match interview with Sky Sports, the German forward expressed his disapproval of such conduct on the field.
“Right after scoring, I felt his elbow brush against my face from about two meters away, which means his arm was raised quite high,” Woltemade explained.
“I mentioned it to the referee because feeling an elbow to the face is unacceptable. I’m not the kind of player who dives or exaggerates fouls. Sometimes players might resort to that, but it’s not how I play.”
After the incident, Woltemade confronted Gabriel, leading to a tense face-off that was quickly diffused by referee Jarred Gillett.
Although Gabriel apologized and extended his hand, Woltemade declined the gesture and walked away.
“He did say sorry afterward, so I believe he realized he struck me in the face,” Woltemade added. “But that didn’t resolve anything for me.
“I’m not a fan of this kind of behavior. If you commit a foul and then apologize moments later, it doesn’t belong in football. I respect a fierce contest, but it must always be fair. His elbow should never have been near my face.”