Gabriel Martinelli has publicly apologized for his touchline incident with Conor Bradley during Arsenal’s goalless draw against Liverpool on Thursday night.
With the game in stoppage time and heading towards a goalless draw, Liverpool right-back Bradley landed awkwardly on his knee near the touchline.
However, Arsenal’s Martinelli viewed the action as a sign of time wasting and first dropped the ball on the Northern Irishman, before attempting to push him off the pitch in an attempt to allow the game continue.
The incident sparked tension between both sides, with multiple players involved in an altercation, while center-referee Anthony Taylor brandished yellow cards to Martinelli and Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate.
The Brazilian has since taken to social media after the match, apologizing for his behaviour during the clash.
“I really didn’t understand he was seriously injured in the heat of the moment. I want to say I’m deeply sorry for reacting. Sending Conor all my best again for a quick recovery”, Martinelli posted on Instagram.
Speaking in their post match press conference, both managers also defended the Brazil international.
Slot 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”, he added.
“You cannot ask Martinelli to think so clear in the 94th minute. I don’t know what happened to Conor, but hopefully it’s not bad. But obviously there is no intention from Gabi to do anything bad to him”, Arteta also stated.
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