Newcastle striker Callum Wilson has claimed that Lisandro Martinez ‘just wanted to kick’ him during Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Old Trafford.
The Magpies and Manchester United could not be separated at the weekend, in what was an incredibly intriguing encounter.
Eddie Howe’s side had the better of the first half and should have gone ahead. They also should have been awarded a penalty, much to the dismay of Wilson.
But Man United had the better of the second half, with Marcus Rashford missing a golden chance in stoppage time. They also had penalty shouts of their own.
As 0-0 draws go, this one was fairly exciting. There was passion all over the pitch, with little battles taking place between the two sides.
Wilson was involved in one, going toe-to-toe with Red Devils defender Lisandro Martinez. And he has now given his side of the story.
Wilson on Martinez incident
The 30-year-old has appeared on the latest episode of The Footballer’s Football Podcast. He explained what happened between him and Martinez.
“The little squabble thing, it was minor,” he said.
“The ref had blew for a free kick, so I was just leaving the ball but you know as you do as a player, you’re just walking past the ball so they can’t take a free-kick.
“I was just being game smart and he’s gone to act like he’s going to stud me. I’ve pushed him but as I’ve pushed him he’s gone to grab me and I’ve just made him realise I’m not that guy. You chose the wrong guy today.
“I just held him and he was trying to get out of it and I was just like ‘you’re not going anywhere, you need calm down’. But you’re talking to someone who might not having great English.
“There was a lot of f yous, but it’s just banter on the pitch – I just laugh about it and I knew straight away I’d got in his head. After that he just wanted to kick me.”
An enticing battle between two hot-headed players
It was an interesting battle between Wilson and Martinez. You could see that the Newcastle number nine had got under his skin. After the initial coming together, there were various other incidents.
On multiple occasions, Wilson was fouled by the £57million man. He had wound Martinez up, and got the reaction he wanted.
It’s incidents like this that make you realise what a nightmare Wilson must be to play against. He seems like a real nuisance, but in a good way if you’re a Toon fan.
Sadly for Wilson, his squabble with Martinez was one of his highlights on a quiet afternoon. The Newcastle forward had limited opportunities at Old Trafford. There was the penalty shout in the first half, while he snatched at a decent chance shortly after half-time.
He will hope to get more openings tonight against Everton, as he looks to add to his tally of three goals so far this season.
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