Arsenal vs Liverpool: 'I didn't understand' — Martinelli explains pushing injured Conor Bradley off the pitch, Arne Slot reacts

Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli has taken to social media to apologise for pushing Liverpool’s Conor Bradley off the pitch, explaining that he did not grasp the extent of the defender’s injury.

Martinelli came off the bench to try and help Mikel Arteta’s side get the edge in their 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium against Liverpool. 

His eagerness to ensure the Gunners get the winner as the clock wound down, which would ensure they move nine points clear in the Premier League, led him to push Bradley off the pitch to quicken the restart.

The Brazil international replaced Trossard in the 64th minute, in a second-half which Liverpool shaded — a much improved performance from their lethargic first-half showing. Still, Arsenal carried a threat when they attacked.

With both teams pressing for the winner late in the game, Bradley went down unchallenged, clutching his knee. Martinelli seemed to assume it was a time-wasting ploy. He dropped the ball on him cynically and shoved him off the pitch.

The extent of Bradley’s injury was determined to be serious enough for him to be stretchered off by the pitch, leading to opprobrium directed the way of Martinelli from fans and analysts after the game, with Manchester United legend Gary Neville saying the winger should have been “whacked” by one of Bradley’s teammates.

Hence, the 24-year-old took to social media to apologise for his action, as well as explain that he was not aware of the extent of the injury.

“Conor and I have messaged, and I've already apologised to him. I really didn't understand he was seriously injured in the heat of the moment,” he said on Instagram. “I want to say I'm deeply sorry for reacting. Sending Conor all my best again for a quick recovery.”

Liverpool’s head coach Arne Slot came to the defence of Martinelli, saying that the former Ituano man reacted based on the precedent of time-wasting actions and theatrics that have become rampant and normalised in football.

"I don't know Gabriel Martinelli, but he comes across as a nice guy," Slot said, per Chris Wheatley. "The problem for him, and it's a problem in general in football, is that there is so much time-wasting in the final parts of games that sometimes you can be annoyed when you want to score a goal and you feel a player is pretending to be injured. I'm 100 per cent sure if he knew what the injury might be, he wouldn't do that."

Meanwhile, Liverpool have managed to collect four points from leaders Arsenal this season, a reminder that they are the defending champions despite having struggled this season.