Ex-Premier League referee slams Arsenal star for his behaviour - 'Total disrespect'

Ex-Premier League referee slams Arsenal star for his behaviour - 'Total disrespect'Arsenal were knocked out of the FA Cup by Southampton on Saturday night and forward Gabriel Martinelli was involved in an incident with referee Sam Barrott in the closing stagesCommentsSportFelix Keith Senior Sports Reporter14:36, 05 Apr 2026View 2 ImagesGabriel Martinelli let his frustration boil over vs Southampton(Image: Robin Jones/Getty Images)Gabriel Martinelli should have been sent off for pushing referee Sam Barrott during Arsenal's defeat by Southampton, according to ex-Premier League referee Mark Halsey. The incident happened in the final minutes of Saints' surprise 2-1 win over Arsenal in the FA Cup on Saturday night.‌Shea Charles' finish into the bottom corner in the 85th minute had put the home side back ahead and left the Gunners desperately chasing a second equaliser. Mikel Arteta's side tried to put the pressure on Southampton and were awarded a free-kick when Max Dowman was brought down in the 94th minute.‌Martinelli ran over to the scene to try and take the free-kick quickly. He pushed Barrott and grabbed the ball, trying to restart play as swiftly as possible. The shocked official blew his whistle and pulled out the yellow card for the Arsenal forward.‌Halsey refereed in the Premier League between 1999 and 2013 and believes Barrott should have issued a red instead, in order to lay down a marker and demand more respect for officials.FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news and more on our dedicated Facebook pageREAD MORE: Abandoned stadium that hosted multiple FA Cup finals has been left to rot for yearsREAD MORE: Arsenal sensation admits he 'shouldn't have been in England squad' amid injury debate"Referee Sam Barrott awarded a free-kick to Arsenal, Martinelli comes rushing in and he pushes Sam out of the way," he told The Sun. "Now I'm sorry, Gabriel Martinelli showed total disrespect for the ma...