GABRIEL MARTINELLI was booked during the first-half of Arsenal’s Europa League clash with Sporting Lisbon tonight… despite the offence being committed by Granit Xhaka.
The Swiss midfielder knocked the ball out of Sporting goalkeeper Antonio Adan’s hands on 43 minutes.
Referee Tobias Stieler was not impressed with the incident… but seemed to punish the wrong perpetrator.
The German whistler brandished his yellow card, but flashed it at Martinelli rather than Xhaka – much to the forward’s bewilderment.
He protested to the official, looking completely baffled as to why he had been cautioned.
Arsenal fans on social media couldn’t believe what they were seeing either.
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One wrote: “Martinelli just got booked for Xhaka s***housery.”
While a second tweeted: “Funny situation but it was better MARTINELLI got the card than XHAKA. Terrible foul from Xhaka.”
A third agreed: “I’ll take Martinelli on a yellow over Xhaka though.”
The incident was looked at by VAR… but the video officials decided not to advise the on field ref that he’d got the wrong man.
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This caused even more confusion, with one fan writing: “The worst part is that it wasn’t even Martinelli that poked the ball away. It was Xhaka and VAR had a look at it but didn’t correct it lol.”
Another merely laughed, joking: “Martinelli getting a yellow card for Xhaka’s dirty work. Lmao.”
The incident occurred with the sides level at 1-1.
William Saliba had given Arsenal the lead on 22 minutes, only for Goncalo Inacio to level for the home side after 34.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
