Emi Martinez provokes Jack Grealish during Aston Villa and Manchester City clash
Yasmine Green
Dailysports's expert
Translated by the editors
A heated exchange erupted between Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez and Manchester City winger Jack Grealish during halftime of Saturday's match in Birmingham, reports Daily Mail.
As the players headed to the tunnel at halftime, Martinez shouted at Grealish, "You think you're a big boy now, huh?" To prevent the situation from escalating further, a member of staff from one of the clubs stepped in between them.
It seems Martinez was irked by Grealish's frustration over the referee’s decision not to add stoppage time to the first half. Martinez, known for his provocative style on the pitch, appeared to use the moment to get under Grealish’s skin.
For Grealish, the match at his former home ground turned into a nightmare. Starting for City, he struggled to make an impact and was relentlessly booed by the Villa fans every time he touched the ball.
Manchester City suffered yet another defeat to Aston Villa, extending their winless streak to four matches. The loss dropped City to seventh place in the Premier League standings, overtaken by none other than Aston Villa, who claimed victory to climb higher in the table.
