FOOTAGE has emerged of what Aston Villa’s Emi Martinez told Jack Grealish in their furious tunnel row.
Grealish was given a first start at Villa Park since leaving his boyhood club in 2021 as Pep Guardiola desperately tried to turn things around.
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But Manchester City were handed a ninth defeat in 12 games thanks to goals from Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers.
Things escalated before the half-time break when Grealish appeared to moan at the lack of added time shown.
An argument broke out between the England international and his former team-mate Martinez.
And new footage has captured the moment Martinez said to Grealish: “You think you’re a big boy, huh?”
The keeper was booked by referee Peter Bankes for his involvement in the heated row.
Grealish was relentlessly booed by the Villa fans who used to cheer his name before his £100million move to City.
The former Villa captain lost his cool and put three fingers up to fans in retaliation – referencing either his Treble winning season or his number of Premier League titles won.
England legend Michael Owen spoke out on social media to defend Grealish and slam fans who booed him.
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Owen posted: “I often hear or see things in football that makes my blood boil. Most people will probably feel the same at some point or other.
“I guess that’s quite natural when you care passionately about something, or in my case, when it’s something that has consumed your entire life.
“There will always be kind, honest, generous, respectful, caring people in all walks of life just as there will always be nasty, jealous, spiteful, bitter people too.
“Your job or where you’re from doesn’t necessarily make you fall into a certain category.
“But to those Villa fans who booed Jack Grealish yesterday, you fall into the second category and should hang your heads in shame.”
Grealish spent eight years with Villa, scoring 32 goals in his 213 appearances.
Since moving to City, he has 14 goals in 143 games with also a Champions League winning medal to his name.
But this season he has struggled amid City’s dip in form, with Grealish yet to score in 18 appearances.
It has led to speculation the playmaker could look to leave Manchester in a bid to re-find his form.
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