In the end, Gabriel Martinelli couldn’t get enough of the Premier League’s top match. And the Arsenal pro caused quite a stir in the process. An apology followed on Friday.
Things were heated at the Emirates Stadium in London from the start, with Arsenal and Liverpool giving each other no quarter in a hard-fought duel. However, what both teams lacked was goal-scoring ability. The score was still 0-0 in injury time. That was probably not enough for the Gunners in the eyes of substitute Gabriel Martinelli. After all, the leaders could have extended their lead to eight points after Manchester City, who are second in the table, drew 1-1 with Brighton & Hove Albion.
So Martinelli was not at all pleased when Liverpool pro Conor Bradley went down on the sideline in the 93rd minute. Time-wasting? The Brazilian unceremoniously pushed Bradley off the field, causing a scuffle and earning himself his second yellow card of the season.
Bradley had landed awkwardly on his knee and, as it turned out, was seriously injured, so the incident had nothing to do with time-wasting. TV expert Gary Neville described Martinelli’s behavior as “absolutely shameful” after Bradley had to be treated and then carried off the pitch on a stretcher.
The 24-year-old then issued an apology via Instagram. “I really didn’t realize how badly he was injured at the time,” said Martinelli, who also apologized to Bradley in person. “I want to say that I am very sorry for my reaction. I wish Conor all the best for a speedy recovery.”
Arteta and Slot defend Martinelli
Martinelli’s action didn’t change anything anyway, as the score remained 0-0 at the Emirates. The striker, who has scored once in 16 league appearances this season but in all five Champions League games, was defended by both Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Liverpool coach Arne Slot after the game against the Reds.
Arteta did not want to accuse his player of malicious intent, while Slot saw it as a misunderstanding, because time-wasting is widespread in soccer.