Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli found himself at the centre of a heated controversy during the closing stages of the goalless encounter with Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium.
The Brazilian winger attempted to shove the stricken Conor Bradley over the touchline after the Liverpool defender suffered what appeared to be a twisted knee whilst putting the ball out for a throw-in.
Bradley was left in considerable pain near the sideline when Martinelli made his ill-judged intervention, prompting an angry response from the visiting players.
The ensuing confrontation saw both Martinelli and Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate receive yellow cards, with the French defender having forcefully pushed the Arsenal man as referee Anthony Taylor intervened.
The incident drew fierce criticism from Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane, who drew upon his own playing experience when condemning the Arsenal man's actions.
"I didn't like it at all. It happened to me once. I was badly injured and a player stood over me. It's not good," the former Manchester United captain remarked.
Keane went further in his assessment of the Brazilian's conduct, stating: "Throwing the ball at him, standing over him and getting a little knee on him.
"He tries to force him off. That behaviour is an absolute disgrace."
Gabriel Martinelli and Ibrahima Konate were booked during the fracas
|REUTERS
The Irishman expressed hope that Martinelli would review the footage and offer an apology for his actions.
Fellow Sky Sports analyst Gary Neville was equally scathing in his assessment of the Arsenal substitute's behaviour.
"You can't push him off the pitch! You cannot do that. That is so poor. I think an apology is needed," the former England defender declared.
Neville made clear his displeasure whilst noting the severity of Bradley's injury, adding: "Bradley is being stretchered off. I'm fuming with Martinelli to be honest. Disgraceful."
The Northern Irish full-back required a stretcher to leave the field following the incident, underlining the inappropriate nature of Martinelli's attempt to hasten the resumption of play.
Gabriel Martinelli attempted to shove Conor Bradley off the pitch
|SKYSPORTS
The stalemate represented a missed opportunity for Mikel Arteta's side, who could have established an eight-point cushion at the summit following dropped points by Manchester City and Aston Villa the previous evening.
Liverpool came closest to breaking the deadlock in the opening period when Bradley struck the crossbar with a lofted attempt following a defensive miscommunication between David Raya and William Saliba.
Arne Slot's visitors, extending their unbeaten sequence across all competitions to ten matches, seized control after the interval as Arsenal struggled to retain possession.
"It's even worse than disrespectful"
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 8, 2026
Daniel Sturridge and Roy Keane react to Gabriel Martinelli's actions in the final minutes of Arsenal vs Liverpool. pic.twitter.com/K7vLrnn6iD
The Gunners ultimately extended their lead to six points rather than the eight that had been within reach.