Moises Caicedo challenge forced Gabriel Martinelli off the field in the early stages of Arsenal’s match on Sunday.
Shay Given observed and recognized the actions of both Caicedo and Kaoru Mitoma.
During his appearance on Match of the Day 2, Shay Given commented on Brighton’s dominant performance against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Which dealt a significant blow to the Gunners’ hopes of clinching the Premier League title.
Lately, Arsenal’s squad has faced challenging circumstances as players have been sidelined. William Saliba has been out of action for several weeks, and more recently, Oleksandr Zinchenko has also joined the list of sidelined players.
Mikel Arteta encountered an unfortunate situation as Arsenal had to make a substitution merely 20 minutes into the match. Moises Caicedo brought down Gabriel Martinelli with a subpar challenge in the midfield.
It’s important to mention that the referee did not consider Moises Caicedo’s challenge deserving of a yellow card. However, this incident occurred after Gabriel Martinelli was fortunate enough to escape punishment following an incident involving Kaoru Mitoma.
Martinelli made a harsh and severe tackle on Mitoma, which was deemed a significant foul. Shay Given would argue that the tackle was dangerously close to warranting a red card.
Caicedo Challenge even more interesting considering Arsenal Links
Shay Given highlighted a significant moment when Caicedo and Mitoma exchanged a high-five shortly after the foul on Martinelli occurred. During his commentary on Match of the Day 2, Given remarked, “You can observe that they high-five each other”. “Indicating a sense of satisfaction in ‘getting him back,’ as that initial challenge was quite vicious.”
The situation becomes even more intriguing due to the involvement of Moises Caicedo, considering Arsenal’s strong interest in signing him. With the upcoming summer transfer window. It is expected that the club will add at least one more central midfielder to their squad.
To be fair, Caicedo’s tackle was not violent. However, it is likely that he was aware he would leave an impact on Martinelli when he made the challenge.
If Martinelli experiences a significant period of sideline and Caicedo joins Arsenal in the upcoming summer. It could potentially create an interesting situation. It could certainly add an intriguing dynamic to the situation.
Considering the events that unfolded earlier, it’s understandable that one of the Brighton players would feel inclined to be more physical with Martinelli.
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