Gabriel Martinelli has apologised for assuming Conor Bradley was exaggerating his injury on Thursday night and trying to nudge him off the pitch while he awaited treatment.
To give you an idea of how sensationally the incident has been reported, though, my brother, having not watched the game and only going off a report he read, said the Brazilian had apparently thrown a ball at the defender before kicking him!
I had to explain the reality: that the Gunner went to take a quick throw, in frustration saw the game had been stopped, and dropped the ball, which lightly touched his opponent. With part of the right back’s body on the touchline, there was an attempt to nudge him a few inches off the pitch so the game could proceed.
No player has the right to officiate the game even if play-acting is going on. A professional athlete let adrenaline dictate his actions and needed to be calmed down with a yellow card and a warning from Liverpool, and even his own players. He won’t be the first or last to lose his composure during a match, but normally, once the final whistle is blown, everyone shakes hands, and there are zero hard feelings on any physical or verbal outbursts.
Yet based on Sky Sports coverage, you would think poor Mr Bradley lay on the floor holding his leg that had fallen off before Martinelli flung him over his shoulder. As pundits, I have defended Gary Neville and Roy Keane more than many Gooners, but I pay enough for my TV subscription to expect better analysis than ‘I’m surprised Liverpool players didn’t whack Martinelli.’
I grew up watching famous battles with Arsenal vs Man United, making it even more surprising that former United talent would be so offended.
As he posted on social media when saying sorry, if Martinelli had known one of his peers was seriously hurt, then he would have behaved differently. Which begs the more important question. What made the 24-year-old assume Bradley was wasting time?
That’s because if we are honest, if there are 5 times in 90 minutes when play is stopped for medical treatment, 4 times the player is healthy.
So if players are going to fake injury, can they complain the one time a player doesn’t know it’s legit?
It’s like when players criticise a ref for not recognising a dive yet continue to…dive.
If players didn’t feign injury in the first place, this confusion would be avoided.
If players want to rid the sport of cheating, they can’t cheat. They can’t have it both ways.
Dan Smith
______________________________________________________________________
ADMIN COMMENT
So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….
You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…
“Go across and WHACK Martinelli, and take the red card.” Not Gary Neville’s finest hour. You can see why he’s not a manager.
Yeah and maybe even get an assault charge for your efforts. Genius.
Big brain Neville strikes again!
I wasn’t sure if he’d gone off the pitch and collapsed back over the line and watching on TV I had a better view. Leave off Martinelli, was the huge overreaction just more time wasting?
As a Liverpool fan, I have to take issue with your Arsenal tinted take on the incident (suprise)! He did not drop the ball, he threw it, albeit not hard, then he put his knee into his back and then tried to drag him off the pitch, and action that cannot be described as a gentle nudge. However it’s history now and the only thing that matters is Bradley’s recovery.
I seen worse
Typical. Defending the indefensible. Martinelli seems like a good lad. But what he did was completely out of order. First dropping the ball on Bradley on purpose, then trying to push him off the pitch when he was clearly injured. And we’re not talking about a player who has been falling all over the pitch, exaggerating injury. We’re talking about one of the most honest hardworking players out there. Martinelli should have known better and what he did, even in the heat if battle, was out of order and for me deserved a red card.
Who’s said what he did was correct ?
I to laughed when hearing these comments from the two former United angels.
For me in particular it was Roy Keane’s castigating of Martinelli that made me laugh the most.
This from a man who enacted revenge on a player he had originally injured himself in trying to fail. And then in said game put in an absolutely filthy challenge that could have been career ending.
And when questioned later in his pundit days then has the gool to say wasn’t really a bad challenge. So please forgive me if in this instance if I take what he said regarding Martinelli with a massive pinch of salt.
On this matter the man, and I use that term lightly, is a complete waste of space.
He’s out for the season ,maybe 12 months I’ve read .
Makes it look worse now .
Keane and and Neville are complete hypocrites with their comments but Martinelli was bang out of order. I know it was heat of the moment but he didn’t just drop the ball on him there was force there, albeit minimal but shoving off the pitch was ridiculous. Just been reported that Bradley has a serious injury and out for a long while, certainly not Martinelli’s fault, but certainly not time wasting.
Hence why he got a yellow card
Apart from that I don’t think he needs to reproach himself
I have seen allot worse put it that way
100%. Something now has to be done about players faking injuries to gain more stoppage time. How about when a player goes down not needing medical attention he has 2 minutes to get up or he has to leave the pitch for 2 minutes. If he does it again he gets a yellow card.
Martinelli incident was very unfortunate / sad but this is what faking injuries has done to football. Time to stop it.
I’m in complete agreement 🤝
Laura, players faking it are often difficult to detect, and if there was a situation where a genuinely injured player was forced off with no treatment, and as a result their injury became serious, legal action could result.
.
Hi. Am not saying without treatment. When sent off the medical team has to attend and a 2 minute off the pitch applies when he is up and ready to come back on.
He wasn’t faking, he is out for months now!!!!!
I did not say he was faking. Because of all the faking Bradley’s injury at the time was not taken seriously and that what happens due to “faking”! 9 times out of 10 they are not believed by players or Refs!
I think you need to listen to Slot’s comment on the incident! Even your manager can see why Martinelli did what he did!
I’ve just read that Bradley is out for the rest of the season which I’m sad to hear. I hope he makes a speedy recovery and we se him back on the pitch in due course.
Can I just say that I’ve said in previous post’s that it wasn’t Martinelli’s greatest hour, as I’m sure if asked he would admit to.
But can I just address this stupid idea that he chucked the ball at Bradley. Ni he didn’t, yes he showed a bit of petulance maybe by dropping the ball on Bradley but that was all.
I tell you what chucking a ball at an a opponent is, do you remember a certain Haaland nearly decapitating Gabriel’s head when City scored their late leveler at home last season.
Funny thing was that didn’t get half the noise that has been chucked Martinelli’s way. So can we please stop with this utter rubbish regards Martinelli being accused of chucking the ball at Bradley, it didn’t happen.
Neither incidents were great Derek but Haaland didn’t try to drag an injured player off the pitch. It was stupid. Both were stupid. But to drag an injured player, in obvious agony, was not good.
Reggie,
While I hear what you’re saying, I do think that this is being blown out of all proportion.
Yes it was a silly thing to do, something that Martinelli has admitted. But he’s said sorry, what more can he do.
And for me, this just shows how players feigning injury’s can have it’s consequences. But having said that, in the future to be on the safe side leave said player alone, whether they are feigning injury or not.
Derek, he had no need to drag Bradley off the pitch. If lets say, he had broken a leg, which granted he didn’t, he could have done more damage. He was injured, don’t get involved, simple.
Reggie,
I agree with you. But I still stand by my stance of it being blown out of all proportion.
As I said, Martinelli has said he’s sorry. What else can he do.
Well said Derek. Sadly some supporters have a very short or even “when it suits” memory
Laura,
Appreciated. 👍
👍
Reggie is always too quick to condemn our players,especially Martinelli,i know if it were to be Trosaard,we won’t be hearing this his over the top ridicule.I still maintain that Martinelli don’t deserve all the insults/attacks he’s getting for trying to help his team win a game.
Doh!!!!!!! It wasn’t Trossard? What a STUPID accusation? Grow up.
And for your information, if it was Trossard, he would have been as wrong as Martinelli was, but funnily enough, it wasn’t.
Martinelli didn’t cause the injury, he acted wrongly in the spur of the moment, has apologised.
Compare that to Keane admitting he went out to end another player’s career – no apology.
Compare that to the two Neville brothers trying to end Reyes career – no apology.
Compare Suares biting the ears of opponents – no apology.
It’s done and dusted, Martinelli will learn from his mistake and only those with an agenda will keep the situation alive.
Ken, bang on the money 👍. I don’t remember all this fuss when Diaby, Ramsey and Eduardo suffered horrific injuries that were caused by terrible tackles.
Ken1945,
I couldn’t have put it better myself.
This Martinelli issue is just another stick to beat Arsenal with.
There are countless examples, and you’ve just named a few. But I guess with Arsenal doing so well right now, these pundits and opposition fans have to make themselves feel better some how.
The lad has said sorry, what more is he expected to do.
Great points Ken.
Phil Neville: “They had a young Spanish winger called Juan (sic) Antonio Reyes, and we literally kicked him off the park. Every time he got the ball, Gary smashed him. Next time he got the ball, I smashed him.”
That quote should be put to Neville the very next time he’s on Sky Bergkampfwagen and let’s see what his answer would be and the same goes for Keane.
Thanks Derek.
HD thanks for your examples as well.
One Liverpool fan is saying that Martinelli should be banned for as long as their defender is sidelined (even though he didn’t cause the injury!!) and, if that was the case, imagine how long the players we’ve named would have been out of the game!!
Another of their fans are saying that the force with which Martinelli threw the ball at Bradley could have easily broken his leg!!
You really couldn’t make this hysteria up.
Ok everyone time to move on and remember that Martinelli did not injury Bradley. Unfortunately he injured himself. No crime committed. End of story!