Conor Bradley Injury Update Condemns Gabriel Martinelli’s ‘Disgraceful’ Shove

Martinelli was labelled an “idiot” for trying to shove Bradley off the pitch.

Gabriel Martinelli (right) was not impressed with Conor Bradley’s injury. / IMAGO/Sportimage

The revelation that Liverpool manager Arne Slot is “fearing the worst” for Conor Bradley following a nasty twist of his knee has only added an even darker cloud over the actions of Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli, which were roundly branded as “disgraceful.”

The Brazil international tangled with Liverpool’s fullback during the closing stages of Thursday’s 0–0 draw at the Emirates Stadium. As the Gunners chased after a winner with increasing urgency, Bradley halted play by tumbling to the turf on the touchline and clutching his knee. Martinelli had little sympathy.

After first dropping the ball onto the prone defender, Arsenal’s No. 11 took the unwise step of attempting to shove him off the pitch in an effort to get the match quickly restarted. All that achieved was sparking a mass brawl which delayed the contest even further.

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Liverpool’s players were quite understandably incensed at Martinelli’s flagrant disregard for their stricken teammate, who had to be stretchered off the pitch as it became rapidly apparent that there was no playacting involved.

Bradley was spotted on crutches with his left knee in a brace as he left the stadium. Slot was in no position to give any concrete diagnosis on the Northern Ireland international, but warned that it “doesn’t look good.”

“We have to wait on the scans if it’s that bad,” Slot acknowledged. “But it doesn’t look great if Conor has the injury which we fear he might have.”

Nevertheless, the Dutch boss took a generous view on the villain of the piece.

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Slot Defends Apologetic Martinelli

Gabriel Martinelli caused plenty of outrage. / Marc Atkins/Getty Images

“I don’t know Gabriel Martinelli, but he comes across as a nice guy,” the remarkably level-headed Liverpool manager noted.

“I’m 100% sure that if he knew what the injury might be, that he would never do that,” Slot insisted. “I think the problem for him—and it’s a problem in general in football—is that there is so much time-wasting and players pretending that they are injured in the final parts of the game and during the game, that you can sometimes be annoyed if you want to try to score a goal that you think the player is time-wasting.

“You cannot ask Martinelli to think so clear in the 94th minute.”

When he was given the chance to compose himself after the fury of the contest, Martinelli revealed on social media that he had promptly reached out to Bradley.

“Conor and I have messaged and I have already apologised to him,” Martinelli wrote on Instagram. “I really didn’t understand he was seriously injured in the heat of the moment. I want to say I’m deeply sorry for reacting.

“Sending Conor all my best again for a quick recovery.”

Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta was also quick to add his own character reference for the 24-year-old. “Knowing Gabi, if anybody knows Gabi, it’s an incredibly lovely guy and probably he didn’t realise what happened,” the Basque boss declared. “I hope that Conor is well. I will have a word with him now to understand that, but probably he didn’t recognise what happened.”

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Backlash Against ‘Idiot’ Martinelli

Fans expected more from this one but it was too cagey. / Marc Atkins/Getty Images

While the figures on the touchline were able to calmly accept Martinelli’s failings, that same sense of composure was not replicated elsewhere.

Sky Sports commentator Gary Neville was the first to offer his immediate reaction, labelling the Arsenal winger an “idiot” for his actions which, to his mind, warranted rough justice. “I am actually fuming with Martinelli, I don’t know how the Liverpool players didn’t go over and absolutely whack him to be honest with you and take a red card. Absolutely disgraceful, that,” he seethed.

Roy Keane, in his capacity as a pundit for the same broadcasters, likened the scene to when Alf-Inge Haaland (father of Erling) loomed over him after committing a challenge which left him with a very serious knee injury. “I didn’t like it,” the former Manchester United captain said of the Martinelli incident. “It happened to me when I was badly injured and a player stood over me, and it’s not good.

“First of all throwing the ball at him, and he puts a little knee in him to try to force him off. I’m surprised the Liverpool players didn’t react to Martinelli more. I think that behaviour is an absolute disgrace. Not good scenes.”

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