Judge Fines Lautaro, Clears Him Over Elbow

Good evening, Napoli supporters, this is Napoli Tonight for Tuesday 8 September.

Here's the question hanging over today's disciplinary news: why does shouting at the referee cost more than an elbow to the stomach? The Sports Judge, Gerardo Mastrandrea, ruled on Saturday's three-two defeat at Inter and fined Lautaro Martinez fifteen hundred euros for protesting his booking. But the elbow Martinez landed on Rafa Marín late in the game, missed by referee Simone Sozza and never reviewed by the VAR, drew no punishment at all. No ban, no retrospective action. Our view: that is one weight and two measures, and it leaves Napoli with the same sour feeling from San Siro, on the disciplinary front as well as the scoreline.

The bigger worry going into tomorrow is further back. Napoli have conceded five goals in their last three matches, as many as they've scored, and sit twelfth in Serie A with three points. Rafa Marín and Amir Rrahmani have started every game, and both have had lapses. Head coach Massimiliano Allegri is weighing a back three for the league, but he is not changing anything for Arsenal. After Como and Inter, sticking with the same back line that has already conceded five in two games is the cautious call, and after this start, caution starts to look like a question still unanswered.

There is some good news. Scott McTominay's heart procedure in Manchester this morning was a complete success, though he still needs around two weeks before training resumes. Arsenal arrive at the Maradona short at the back themselves, with William Saliba out and Jurrien Timber and Yerson Mosquera doubtful too.

Kick-off is at twenty-one hundred CET tomorrow, and gates open three hours early, at eighteen hundred, for security checks. Arsenal reached last season's Champions League final and have won all three of their league games so far. Napoli have not fixed their defence in time to test that.

That's Napoli Tonight for tonight. Every story, in full, at arenanapoli dot com slash e n. Back tomorrow evening at eight o'clock CET.