Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli has issued an apology after attempting to push injured Liverpool defender Conor Bradley off the pitch during Thursday evening's goalless draw at the Emirates Stadium. The right-back remained on the ground during stoppage time following an awkward landing.
Bradley was pursuing the ball and appeared to damage his knee whilst clearing danger close to the touchline. He instantly grabbed his knee as he collapsed to the turf, delaying Arsenal's attempt to resume play.
After being prevented from taking the throw-in, Martinelli dropped the ball to the full-back before objecting to the Northern Ireland international's presence. He subsequently pushed him in the back in an effort to move him off the pitch and allow the game to continue.
Ibrahima Konate received a yellow card for his role in a confrontation between both teams, whilst Martinelli was also cautioned. Bradley was subsequently stretchered off having appeared to sustain a significant injury.
After the match, Martinelli turned to social media to apologise to Bradley and express his wishes for a speedy recovery. "Conor and I have messaged and I've already apologised to him," he posted on his Instagram story.
"I really didn't understand he was seriously injured in the heat of the moment. I want to say I'm deeply sorry for reaction. Sending Conor all my best again for a quick recovery."
Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane labelled Martinelli "a disgrace" during Sky Sports' broadcast of the Premier League encounter. "It's not good. We know football, the player is a good lad," he remarked.
"Throwing the ball at him, standing over him and getting a little knee on him. He tries to force him off. That behaviour is an absolute disgrace.
"He's a good boy to roll over himself. Hopefully, Martinelli will have a look at it and hopefully, he'll apologise for it. Not good stuff that."
Liverpool manager Arne Slot came to Martinelli's defence during his post-match press conference. "I don't know Gabriel Martinelli, but he comes across as a nice guy," he said.
"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."
Regarding Bradley's injury, Slot continued: "I am 100% sure that if he knew what the injury might be, then he would never do that.
"It doesn't look great if he has the injury which we fear he might have. But time-wasting, diving... I have seen it happen against us so many times this season that I can understand that Martinelli might have thought that this is time-wasting as well.
"He couldn't have thought about 'this is Liverpool, they don't do that."
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta also backed the Brazilian, maintaining that the forward harboured no malicious intent. "I don't know what happened to Conor, but hopefully it's not bad," Arteta remarked.
"But obviously there is no intention from Gabi to do anything bad to him."
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