Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade has revealed a heated on-field exchange with Arsenal defender Gabriel after what he described as a high elbow to the face during their 2-1 defeat at St James' Park. Woltemade insists he is 'not the type of player to fall down' for fouls, highlighting frustration over dangerous challenges and sportsmanship in the Premier League.
Gabriel and Woltemade's heated clash
Woltemade opened the scoring for Newcastle in the first half by jumping over the Brazilian defender, only for Arsenal to mount a dramatic comeback with a 96th-minute winner from Gabriel. After the opener, Woltemade appeared to be elbowed in the face by Gabriel, but the challenge went unpunished. The incident sparked a tense confrontation between the two, which referee Jarred Gillett had to intervene in to calm down.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportWoltemade opens up on feud with Gabriel
Speaking to , Woltemade gave a detailed account of the incident: "After the goal, there was a situation where I felt his elbow in my face at two metres, so his arm had to be really high. 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."
He continued on the confrontation: "Following that, 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 later you say sorry, that's not part of the game. I like the situation where you can have a good battle, but it always has to be fair. His elbow should not be in my face."
Getty Images SportGerman striker not one to 'fall down' and engage in theatrics
Woltemade made clear his commitment to fair play as he refused to go down after Gabriel's apparent elbow: "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."I just stand tall, try to play my game, and I don't exaggerate challenges. Sometimes these situations happen in football, but it should always be safe and fair. I can't control what happens, but I can control how I react, and I want to play proper football without resorting to theatrics."
Woltemade making a mark on struggling Newcastle
Newcastle will look to recover quickly as they aim to close their growing gap with the top half in the Premier League standings. Woltemade is expected to maintain his spot when the Magpies face off with Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League on Wednesday.
