Gary Neville, the former Manchester United defender turned Sky Sports pundit, has sparked over 560 complaints to Ofcom following his comments during Arsenal's goalless draw with Liverpool last week. The incident occurred when Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli attempted to push injured Liverpool defender Conor Bradley off the pitch, leading to widespread condemnation.
In the dying moments of the match, Bradley was stretchered off after sustaining a knee injury that requires surgery. Martinelli, who was shown a yellow card, later apologised on social media, stating he did not realise the severity of the injury. However, Neville's on-air reaction drew particular ire from viewers.
Neville said: 'You can't push him off the pitch. You cannot do that. That is so poor. An apology is needed. Bradley is being stretchered off. I'm fuming with Martinelli to be honest. I don't know how the Liverpool players didn't go over and absolutely whack him to be honest with you and take a red card. Absolutely disgraceful, that.'
According to a report from The Mail, 567 complaints were lodged with Ofcom over Sky Sports' coverage, making it the most complained-about broadcast of 2026 so far. Sky Sports has not yet commented on the matter.
Neville was not alone in his criticism. Fellow pundit Roy Keane described Martinelli's actions as an 'absolute disgrace', while former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge added: 'It's disappointing to see. There's passion and being a winner, but you've got to be respectful as a footballer.'
Ofcom will now assess whether Neville's comments breached broadcasting rules on harm and offence. The incident has reignited debate about punditry standards and player conduct on the pitch.
