'Not right' - Nick Woltemade snubs Arsenal star as Newcastle United incident leaves him raging
Nick Woltemade accused Gabriel of elbowing him in the face during Newcastle United’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal.
Newcastle United striker Nick Woltemade refused to accept Gabriel’s apology after accusing the Arsenal man of elbowing him in the face.
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Gabriel scored a 96th-minute winner as the Gunners won 2-1 at St James’ Park, but Woltemade, who opened the scoring, has suggested the Brazilian was fortunate to remain on the pitch.
Woltemade scored his second goal for the Magpies following his £69million club-record move from Stuttgart when he headed home Sandro Tonali’s in-swinging cross in the 34th minute.
Gabriel felt he was pushed in the back by Woltemade as he met Tonali’s cross and the two players continued to argue about the incident after the restart.
Later on in the aftermath, Gabriel appeared to deliberately strike the 6ft 6in German in the face off the ball but it wasn’t spotted by referee Jarred Gillett or picked up by VAR.
Gabriel was perhaps saved by Woltemade’s decision not to make a meal of it. The defender’s apology was then snubbed by the Germany international.
Nick Woltemade rejects Gabriel’s apology
Woltemade told Sky Sports (via BBC Sport): "After the goal, there was a situation [where] I felt his elbow in my face in two metres, so his arm has to be really high.
“I don't know, I just said it to the referee that I felt something in the face and I think it's not right to feel something in the face but I'm not the type of player to fall down for this. It's hard because sometimes maybe you have to do this but this is not my type of football.
"He said sorry after, so I think he knew he hit me in my face. I didn't solve the situation to be honest.
"I don't like this, if you do some things in game and then a few seconds you say sorry, that's not part of the game. I like this situation where you can have a good battle but his elbow should not be in my face."
Nick Woltemade reflects on Newcastle United’s late defeat to Arsenal
Woltemade played 67 minutes at St James’ Park before being replaced by Will Osula. Mikel Merino equalised for Arsenal in the 84th minute after heading home Declan Rice’s cross before Gabriel met Martin Odegaard’s corner in the sixth minute of added on time.
"I think in the second half we didn't get the pressure away from our goal,” Woltemade said. “We were just defending.
“Sometimes we have to take more situations where we can breathe, where we also play with the ball and get some situations where we can get out of pressure and get the ball in the Arsenal side and we have to learn about it.
“If you defend for 45 or 52 minutes in the second half and don't get any chances and then they get two goals by corners, so don't feel good."