Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli expressed his “deep regret” for his actions involving Conor Bradley, whom he shoved off the pitch. He also revealed that he has reached out directly to the seriously injured Liverpool defender to apologize.
During the tense moments near the end of Thursday’s 0-0 draw at the Emirates, Martinelli threw the ball at Bradley and forced him down while he was on the ground.
Bradley, 22, was seen leaving the stadium on crutches, sporting a brace on his left knee.
As a result of the incident, Martinelli received a yellow card, which sparked outrage among Liverpool’s players.
Roy Keane, former captain of Manchester United, condemned Martinelli’s behavior, calling him “a disgrace” on Sky Sports.
In light of the criticism, Martinelli shared a message on his Instagram, stating: “Conor and I have been in contact, and I’ve already apologized to him. In the heat of the moment, I didn’t realize he was seriously hurt. I’m truly sorry for how I reacted. Wishing Conor a speedy recovery.”
Prior to Martinelli’s statement, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta came to his defense during a post-match press conference, saying: “Knowing Gabi, he’s a genuinely wonderful person and probably didn’t grasp what was happening. I hope Conor is okay, and I will speak with him to understand the situation better. It seems Martinelli didn’t fully realize the severity of what occurred.”
Before the incident, Bradley had hit the crossbar in a closely contested game but now faces an extended period on the sidelines.
“I’m concerned about Conor Bradley,” commented Liverpool manager Arne Slot. “We will need to wait for scans to determine the extent of his injury, but he had to be taken off on a stretcher.”
Regarding Martinelli’s actions, Slot added: “I don’t know Gabriel Martinelli personally, but he appears to be a nice guy. In football, there’s often time-wasting and players feigning injury, which can lead to frustrations. It’s understandable that Martinelli didn’t think clearly in the 94th minute. I’m certain that if he had known about the potential seriousness of the injury, he wouldn’t have acted that way.”
Arsenal’s draw with Liverpool leaves them six points ahead of Manchester City, who now trail the Gunners by 14 points.