Arne Slot and Jurgen Klopp have a similar view when it comes to Gabriel Martinelli's character
Liverpool players confront Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli following his manhandling of Conor Bradley
Gabriel Martinelli's manhandling of Conor Bradley sparked chaos at the Emirates Stadium
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Arne Slot and Jurgen Klopp share a similar view on Gabriel Martinelli following his controversial push on Conor Bradley. The Arsenal attacker tried to shove the injured Liverpool defender off the field during Thursday's goalless stalemate in north London.
The Northern Ireland international immediately grabbed his knee after an awkward landing while attempting to clear the ball, which held up Arsenal's efforts to resume play with a throw-in.
A visibly irritated Martinelli dropped the ball onto Bradley before moaning about his position on the pitch, despite the 22-year-old being in obvious discomfort.
The Brazilian then gave him a shove in the back to move him off the pitch, prompting Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ibrahima Konate to retaliate by pushing the winger. Bradley was subsequently taken off on a stretcher.
Booked for his actions towards Bradley, Martinelli received backing not just from his boss Mikel Arteta. He was also described as a "nice guy" by Slot following the final whistle. Speaking up for the opposition player in his post-match press conference, the Dutchman said: "I don't know Gabriel Martinelli, but he comes across as a nice guy.
"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.
Conor Bradley receives treatment
Conor Bradley was pushed by Gabriel Martinelli while clutching his knee
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"You cannot ask Martinelli to think so clear in the 94th minute." Slot then admitted: "I am 100 per cent sure that if he knew what the injury might be, then he would never do that."
His assessment of Martinelli echoes sentiments previously expressed by Jurgen Klopp during his time at Anfield. Following Liverpool's 5-4 penalty shootout victory over the Gunners in the EFL Cup fourth round in 2019, the German boss had nothing but praise for the then-18-year-old Martinelli.
Lauding his "unbelievable" ability, Klopp also highlighted the Brazilian's remarkable composure for his age. "It was not in this game only. I watch a lot of football, so I saw the Europa League games of Arsenal," he said.
Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool confront Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal after he pushes Conor Bradley of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Liverpool
The 22-year-old was taken off the pitch on a stretcher
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"He's 18 years old, right? So our scouting department is all over the world and stuff like this, but I think Edu gets all the credit for that signing. He's really unbelievable. So young, looks so mature already, is a proper threat. Yeah, he looks like a really decent player."
Martinelli's remorse over the incident was evident when he turned to social media to confirm he had reached out to Bradley. "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."
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