Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has jumped to the defence of Brighton's Neal Maupay and insists he did not deliberately cause Bernd Leno a serious knee injury.
Seagulls striker Maupay has been criticised by some for his role in Leno's injury - not least by the goalkeeper himself who sat up from his stretcher on the way off the pitch to offer some choice words to his opponent.
But Maupay has now received some backing from an unlikely source, after Leno's team-mate - and Arsenal's replacement keeper - Martinez said he didn't mean it.
'I don't think he tried to injure him,' he said after the game. 'He went for the ball, like any striker would and unfortunately this is football and these things happen.
'I spoke to him [Leno] at half time and he felt like he stretched his knee, twisted it a little bit, we couldn't see from so far away.
'But as a goalkeeper, in the goalkeepers' union, I don't want him to get injured, it's a big loss for the team but I'm more than prepared.
'We are very close, me and Bernd, so I wish him a speedy recovery and if I have to keep his place then I will do my best.'
Arsenal went on to lose the game 2-1 in a huge blow for Mikel Arteta and the Gunners' chances of securing a European spot.
They have suffered a series of damaging injuries in their two matches since the restart too, with Pablo Mari ruled out until November with an ankle ligament injury, while Granit Xhaka was taken off on a stretcher during the Man City defeat.
Matteo Guendouzi is also facing a spell on the sidelines after appearing to grab Maupay by the throat in ill-tempered scenes shortly after the Brighton man had netted the winner at the Amex.
