The referee took the towel away from the Arsenal player: a bizarre scene from the match.

An unusual episode with Arsenal

According to The Sun: The fans were astonished by the oddity when the referee took back the towel from Arsenal defender Ricardo Calabri.

Calabri had secretly taken the towel from Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope to dry the ball before a throw-in.

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But referee Jarred Gillett noticed the trick and returned the towel to Pope.

On social media, fans began to joke about this funny moment. Some believe the referee simply prevented Calabri from drying the ball. For example, one fan remarked:

“The towel rule at a throw-in is probably the funniest rule ever introduced.”

Another fan added:

“I've never seen a referee take a towel away from a player in my life.”

Many found humor in this situation, especially the third fan compared it to typical Premier League behavior:

“Calabri stealing the towel from Nick Pope to dry the ball before a throw-in is typical Stoke City football on a Monday night.”

A fourth fan noted:

“Ricardo Calabri borrowing the towel from Nick Pope to dry the ball while referee Jarred Gillett put an end to it.”

End of the first half

While the Arsenal fans enjoyed this unusual moment, Newcastle supporters laughed at the end of the first half.

The new striker Nick Woltemade scored a goal by winning a header and shooting past David Raya in the 34th minute. This was already his second headed goal at St. James' Park since transferring from Stuttgart at the end of the summer transfer window.

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This episode is a shining example of unexpected moments in football that bring an incredible atmosphere to matches. The light-hearted discussion about the oddity shows how sports can bring people together through humor and often unexpected moments. Many fans rightly emphasized that such moments remain in memory and make the game even more interesting.