Mikel Arteta and Arne Slot have defended Gabriel Martinelli after the Arsenal forward escaped a red card for attempting to push an injured Conor Bradley off the pitch during Sunday's 1-1 draw with Liverpool. The incident occurred in stoppage time when Bradley went down with a knee injury, prompting Martinelli to try and move the Liverpool defender, sparking criticism from pundits Gary Neville and Roy Keane.
Martinelli later apologised on Instagram, stating: 'Conor and I have messaged and I have already apologised to him. 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.' Slot confirmed that Bradley will have a scan on his knee, adding that it 'doesn’t look good'.
Arteta said: 'Knowing Gabby, if anybody knows Gabby, it’s an incredibly lovely guy and probably he didn’t realise what happened. I hope that Conor is well.' Slot suggested that Martinelli may have misinterpreted the situation due to time-wasting tactics becoming more common in football.
Arteta acknowledged that Arsenal missed a chance to capitalise on draws for Manchester City and Aston Villa, but praised his team's resilience amid injuries. 'I think what they’re doing is remarkable,' he said.
