Liverpool’s night in north London contained a moment that quickly became the main talking point long after the final whistle.
What should have been remembered as a disciplined 0-0 draw instead ended with concern for Conor Bradley, following an incident involving Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli late in stoppage time.
The Northern Ireland international pulled up injured near the touchline, and while clearly in distress, was shoved towards the sideline by the Brazilian as the home side attempted to restart play.
Tempers flared immediately, with several of our players reacting instinctively to protect their teammate, including Dominik Szoboszlai, who took exception to the treatment of the 22-year-old while he was on the ground.
Martinelli apology follows Liverpool injury concern
🗣️ "If anyone knows Gabi [Martinelli] they'd know he's a lovely guy"
Arne Slot and Mikel Arteta react to the incident which saw Gabriel Martinelli push Conor Bradley off the pitch whilst awaiting treatment, the Arsenal forward has apologised to Bradley. pic.twitter.com/f7zZvMuyLS
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 9, 2026
Several hours after the match, Martinelli addressed the incident publicly via Instagram.
“Conor and I have messaged and I have already apologised to him,” the Arsenal forward wrote.
“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.”
The apology comes after Arne Slot was visibly concerned about Bradley’s condition, later admitting he feared the worst when speaking post-match.
Slot explained that when one of our players is down, “there’s something wrong 100 out of 100 times,” underlining how unnecessary the shove appeared in the moment.
Why the Martinelli incident still matters to us
Bradley has already suffered multiple injury interruptions this season, making the timing of the clash particularly worrying for us as fixtures continue to pile up.
It was also notable how quickly Szoboszlai intervened, stepping in to defend his teammate during the flashpoint, a moment that summed up the unity within Slot’s squad.
While Martinelli’s words will be noted, the priority for us remains the health of our right-back, with updates expected in the coming days.
The apology closes the chapter publicly, but the concern it sparked lingers firmly on our side.
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Would have some sympathy if Bradley hadn’t immediately pushed himself back onto the pitch.
Knobhead. He was rolling in agony , thats why hes in a brace and on crutches
What match were you watching?
Just shows how well you were watching the match when Connor went down he was still on the pitch and not off it. Yes he did move a bit more on the pitch BUT he was still on it. Maybe open your eyes and watch the match and not what you think you are watching.
Arsenal dikchead. Number one Martinelli dropped the ball on Bradley to provoke a reaction. Number two he tried to knee him off the pitch because dropping the ball on him didn’t provoke a reaction. Number three he tried to pick him up and shove him off the pitch. I’m surprised either Konate or Szoboszlai didn’t deck Martinelli because that’s what he deserved
Big of him to apologise,truth of the matter is he should never have tried to shove him (Bradley) off the pitch. Bradley is not a player who performs drama, he is a fighter. Let’s hope Bradley is not seriously injured..speedy recovery Connor, YNWA
Too little too late 5 match ban
Just shows how well you were watching the match when Connor went down he was still on the pitch and not off it. Yes he did move a bit more on the pitch BUT he was still on it. Maybe open your eyes and watch the match and not what you think you are watching.
Very big of Martinelli to apologise (sic)!!!! Hope Bradley forgives him BUT does not forget. Reminded of Keane and Haarland. 4 years’ time!!!!????
I dont support either team but I watched the game and although itvwas godless I enjoyed it. As for the Bradley/Martinelli incident I’m on the fence over whether Bradley was on the pitch half on the pitch. Frankly I couldnt care but the newspapers and TV have been responsible for the social media frenzy. In the heat of the moment things happen which shouldn’t. Bradley injured himself when he fell over. He was not injured by Martinelli who people are blaming!