LONDON (AP) — Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli accused Brentford midfielder Christian Norgaard of a “nasty” challenge in their Premier League match on Saturday, saying he “could have broken my leg.”
Norgaard received a yellow card in the 28th minute for a scissor tackle on the Brazil international, who was running down the left wing.
Arsenal's players and their manager, Mikel Arteta, were furious with Norgaard's challenge.
“My opinion, in the moment — if my foot was on the (ground), he could break my leg,” Martinelli said.
“He said he didn't mean it but still, you know, he could have broken my leg. For me, it was a red. I need to see it again to be sure, but for me it was nasty.”
The match finished 1-1 and one of the priorities for Arsenal was avoiding any injuries ahead of the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals against Real Madrid. Arsenal leads 3-0 from the first meeting at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
The only fresh doubt appears to be back-up midfielder Jorginho, who seemed to hurt his ribs near the end of the game.
“He said he could not breathe properly so it might be to do with one of the ribs,” Arteta said. "It is strange because Jorgi normally carries on so that means it is something significant, I think.”
Jorginho likely wouldn't have started against Madrid anyway.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Arsenal's Declan Rice, right, and Brentford's Christian Norgaard battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Brentford at Emirates Stadium in London, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli, front, and Brentford's Michael Kayode battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Brentford at Emirates Stadium in London, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo blocked a shot by LeBron James and stole the ball from him on consecutive possessions in the final minute, and the Milwaukee Bucks blew a fourth-quarter lead before rallying for a 105-101 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.
Kevin Porter Jr. scored 22 points, and he hit two free throws to break a tie after Antetokounmpo blocked a driving layup attempt by James with 39 seconds left.
Antetokounmpo then knocked the ball out of James' hands from behind with 2 seconds left, and Porter hit two more free throws to seal Milwaukee's fifth win in seven games — its first over a team with a winning record since Dec. 11. Antetokounmpo finished with 21 points in his lowest-scoring effort since returning from his right calf strain.
Luka Doncic had 24 points and nine assists on 8-of-25 shooting for the Lakers. He had his lowest-scoring performance since Christmas, and he fouled out on Porter's 3-point attempt with 16.2 seconds to play.
James had 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, but Antetokoumpo got the best of the top scorer in NBA history at crunch time. Los Angeles has lost six of 10.
Milwaukee surged to a double-digit lead in the first half even with Antetokounmpo on a minutes restriction in his injury return. Doncic scored 12 points in the third quarter but also committed four fouls in the period, including his fifth of the game.
Los Angeles abruptly erased its deficit by going on a 17-4 run to open the fourth, with James putting the Lakers ahead when he stole the ball from Antetokounmpo for a layup with 6:02 left. Milwaukee missed nine of its first 12 shots in the period, but Porter's layup tied it with two minutes left.
Lakers starters Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura remain sidelined by injury, but Hachimura (calf) might return early next week from his six-game absence, coach JJ Redick said.
Bucks: At Denver on Sunday.
Lakers: At Sacramento on Monday.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart, left, tries to shoot as Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, left, and Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. go after a loose ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
