The Football Association will not take retrospective action against Gabriel Martinelli after he pushed a referee during Arsenal’s 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Southampton.

FA Takes No Action Against Martinelli for Pushing Referee Barrott

The incident occurred in the 94th minute at St Mary’s, when the Arsenal forward shoved official Sam Barrott on the arm as he tried to take a quick free-kick.

Referee Barrott immediately issued a yellow card, but with the official already dealing with the matter on the pitch, the FA sees no reason for a further ban.

This marks the second time this season Martinelli has avoided retrospective punishment.

He previously escaped a ban after pushing Liverpool defender Conor Bradley, who was on the ground with what turned out to be a serious injury.

Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey strongly criticised the decision to show only a yellow card.

“You just cannot put your hands on a referee, let alone push him out of the way,” Halsey said on the Athletic.

He argued the incident sends a terrible message to grassroots football officials across the country.

Ref Support UK, a charity that trains match officials, called on the FA to take a stronger stance.

“The FA cannot let him get away with that. This will be a missed opportunity if they don’t take action,” the organisation posted on X, adding that football authorities must act to prevent such behaviour from escalating further.

The FA’s decision confirms Martinelli remains available for Arsenal’s upcoming fixtures, but the controversy has cast a shadow over a miserable night for the Gunners, who saw their hopes of a treble end with the defeat to the Championship side.

Mikel Arteta did not hide his frustration after Arsenal crashed out of the FA Cup with a 2-1 quarter-final defeat at St. Mary’s against Southampton.

‘We Have to Do Better’: Arteta Reflects on Southampton Defeat

The Gunners entered the tie hoping to keep their trophy hopes alive following a Carabao Cup final loss to Manchester City. Instead, a rotated Arsenal side fell to a determined Championship opponent.

Arteta pointed to two main issues: defensive errors and a lack of ruthlessness in attack.

Southampton took the lead when Ross Stewart beat Ben White, who misjudged a switched pass.

Throughout the match, sloppy giveaways from Martin Odegaard, Cristhian Mosquera and Myles Lewis-Skelly allowed the hosts to launch dangerous counter-attacks.

“They are a really good side,” Arteta said.

“It’s not a coincidence given the run they’re on. They were more efficient than us when it mattered most, and that’s why they are going to Wembley.”

The Arsenal manager refused to blame the opponent’s tactical approach. “We played against any kind of behaviours.

We’ve played 51 games, so imagine the amount of games we’ve won in different ways.

Without taking any credit from Southampton, this was very related to something we have to do a lot better.”

Arsenal also struggled to convert chances. Odegaard wasted a golden opportunity in the first half, mishitting a cutback from Gabriel Martinelli.

Viktor Gyokeres did score, continuing his fine international form, but the questions about Arsenal’s attacking ruthlessness remain.

“We had many periods of dominance and generated chances,” Arteta explained.

“We didn’t capitalise on that enough. When you defend in and around the box the way we did today, you put yourself in a really difficult position.”

Arteta also confirmed a potential injury blow. Gabriel Magalhaes asked to be substituted during the match.

“I don’t know exactly what it is. We’ll have to assess him. When a player asks to be substituted, it’s never good news.”

Arsenal now turn their full attention to the Premier League title race, but this cup exit leaves a bitter taste.

Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Piero Hincapie, Ebere Eze, and Noni Madueke will all miss Arsenal’s FA Cup quarter final clash against Southampton this weekend.

Arteta Confirms Trio Will Miss FA Cup Quarter Final

The Arsenal manager revealed that Hincapie and Madueke picked up injuries while representing their national teams.

Hincapie suffered his issue on duty with Ecuador, while Madueke got hurt playing for England. Arteta eased fears over Madueke’s condition, describing the situation as “not bad.”

He explained that the winger initially feared a serious setback, especially given his previous knee problem that sidelined him for six weeks. However, the latest injury is much less severe.

“It looked really bad and Noni was really worried, especially with what happened with his other knee and he was out for six weeks.

But it’s nowhere near that injury and that is good news,” Arteta said on Arsenal FC.

When asked if he expects Madueke to return within days, the manager replied: “Yes, I think so.”

Eze also misses the trip to Southampton. The attacking midfielder sat out the Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City before the international break and subsequently did not link up with the England squad.

But Arteta delivered positive news on two other key players. Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber are both in contention to feature in the squad this weekend.

Their return provides a timely boost as Arsenal prepare for a crucial knockout tie.

The Gunners will look to advance to the FA Cup semi-finals without the injured trio, but the potential availability of Odegaard and Timber softens the blow.

Arteta will hope his side can overcome Southampton and keep their cup dreams alive.