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Arsenal attacker Gabriel Martinelli was involved in a controversial incident against Southampton in the FA Cup after he was booked for pushing the referee.
The Brazilian went to take a quick free-kick and shoved the referee, Sam Barrott, and was subsequently booked.
YELLOW or RED: Was Gabriel Martinelli fortunate to have only been booked vs Southampton for pushing the ref?
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The incident has caused a fair amount of controversy amongst opposition supporters, with many calling for retrospective action against Martinelli.
However, the 24-year-old is set to escape further punishment, and a former Premier League official has explained why.
Keith Hackett says why Gabriel Martinelli will not be punished further
Former Premier League ref Keith Hackett says Gabriel Martinelli will not be punished further as the FA are unable to act due to the winger being shown a yellow card.
The FA cannot act retrospectively due to the fact that Martinelli was booked for the incident by Barrott during the match.
Speaking on social media, Hackett said: “None because the referee issued a yellow card and that will shut off the opportunity for the FA to upgrade to red.”
Martinelli can count himself lucky, as players have been banned for longer following similar incidents, and he could have been forced to miss several matches.
Meanwhile, the ex-referee believes that the Brazilian international should have been shown a red card for doing what he did.
He told Football Insider: “The fact that Barrott failed in his duty to uphold the authority of the referee sends out the wrong message to all players at all levels that they can do this without sanction.
“Players cannot lay their hands on the referee, and Martinelli’s unacceptable action should have seen a ban.”
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Credit: Getty Images/Michael Regan
It was a shocking evening for Mikel Arteta’s team, and it could have been much worse should the winger have been sent off.
Martinelli has been so poor for Arsenal over recent weeks, and he really must step up now, having nearly let down his teammates significantly.
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