Matchweek 21 of the Premier League saw Arsenal play out a 0-0 home draw with Liverpool.
Gabriel Martinelli is not expected to receive additional punishment from the Football Association (FA) for shoving Conor Bradley during Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with Liverpool. The incident occurred when Bradley was injured while clearing the ball without any physical contact, and the Brazilian winger was caught on camera pushing the full-back off the pitch.
Martinelli first threw the ball in Bradley’s direction before shoving the defender as he tried to move back onto the field. Liverpool players reacted angrily to the action, pushing the Arsenal winger away, and referee Anthony Taylor subsequently showed Martinelli a yellow card.
Since Taylor witnessed the incident and issued a yellow card at the time, the FA is not expected to take any retrospective disciplinary action. The incident will be recorded in the referee’s match report.
Martinelli issued an apology on social media after the game. The 24-year-old acknowledged making physical contact with the Liverpool defender. “In the heat of the moment during the game, I really didn’t realize he was seriously injured,” Martinelli wrote on Instagram. “I want to sincerely apologize for my reaction at that time. I sincerely wish Conor a speedy recovery once again.”
Liverpool manager Arne Slot also expressed understanding of Martinelli’s actions after the match. He explained that he could sympathize with the Arsenal player, pointing out that the growing problem of time-wasting in football was the cause of the outburst.
What Arne Slot Said
“I don’t know Martinelli personally, but he seems like a nice guy,” Slot said. “I think the issue here—and this is a widespread problem in football—is that there is far too much time-wasting in games. Players often feign injury late in matches or during play, and when you are pushing for a goal, you can get frustrated thinking the opponent is wasting time. We cannot expect Martinelli to stay absolutely calm in the 94th minute of a game.”
What Mikel Arteta Said
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta stated that he would speak with the player and further analyzed Martinelli’s character traits. He explained that the player might not have realized the severity of the situation at the time. “Anyone who knows Martinelli will tell you that he is a fantastic, lovely young man. It’s highly likely that he didn’t realize what was happening at that moment. I hope Conor can understand that too. I will talk to him immediately to find out what happened, but it’s probable that he didn’t have a clear grasp of the situation then,” Arteta said.
