Neville rips into 'idiot' Martinelli as he tries to push Bradley off pitch

Gary Neville took aim at Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli in the dying embers of the Gunners' draw with Liverpool on the back of an altercation with Conor Bradley.

Arsenal grew frustrated as the 0-0 draw went on, and that came to a head deep into stoppage time when Martinelli opted to aggressively push his opponent, who had picked up a seemingly serious injury, off the pitch.

Bradley had just cleared a ball forward, but hit the floor in agony having twisted the lower part of his left leg. He was close to the touchline, and Martinelli made the point to referee Anthony Taylor that he should roll off the pitch so the game could continue.

When Bradley didn't, Martinelli shoved the Northern Irishman to try and get him off the field, seemingly causing more pain as Liverpool players saw red.

The likes of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister went steaming in on the Arsenal man, who was booked, and Ibrahima Konate was also shown a yellow card for a shove on the winger, with Declan Rice separating the two.

It left a sour taste in the mouth at the end of what was a competitive game, and a 'fuming' Neville did not hold back when speaking on the incident on Sky Sports.

'You can't push him off the pitch,' and enraged Neville said. 'You cannot do that. You idiot. That is so poor.

'I am surprised one of the Liverpool players have not gone over and had a right pop at him. I think an apology is needed.

'He's thrown the ball at him as well. That is no good. I am actually fuming with Martinelli. 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.'

Dominik Szoboszlai, meanwhile, told Sky after the game: 'I saw Conor twitsted his knee, I don't know what it going on with him. He didn't want to come back on the pitch to time waste, he was just in so much pain.

'He then tried to push him of the pitch. I get the want to win, but I think the health of a player is more important.'

Roy Keane added, seemingly referencing an infamous clash he had with Alf-Inge Haaland: 'I didn't like it. It happened to me once before when I was badly injured with a player stood over me.

'It's not good. We know football and reactions. He has thrown the ball at him, stood over him and got a little knee in the head. He is trying to force him off, and I am surprised the Liverpool players didn't go after Martinelli a little bit more.

'That behaviour is an absolute disgrace. He is a good boy to roll around himself. Hopefully Martinelli will have a good look at it and apologise.'

Martinelli's manager Mikel Arteta told Sky Sports after the game: 'He probably doesn't know. Knowing Gabi... there is no intention to do anything bad to him.'

Liverpool boss Arne Slot said: 'I don't know Gabriel Martinelli but he comes across as a nice guy. The problem for him is that there is so much time-wasting and players pretending they are injured, then sometimes you get annoyed and think that players are time-wasting.

'I am 100 per cent sure if he knew what the injury might be, he would never do that. It doesn't look great if Conor has the injury which we fear he might have.'

Arsenal were second best throughout the game, failing to have a shot on goal in the second period until late on in the second-half. They missed the opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to eight points.

Martinelli was a second-half substitute, replacing Leandro Trossard, but could only muster one shot from his 26 minutes.

He was one of five substitutes used by Mikel Arteta in his search for a winner, with the Spaniard also using Myles Lewis-Skelly, Gabriel Jesus, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke.

Joe Gomez was the only substitute used by Arne Slot, replacing Bradley in stoppage time.

Former Liverpool forward Daniel Sturridge later added on the incident: 'It's disappointing to be honest. There is passion and being a winner, wanting to help your team-mates, but you have to be respectful as a football player.

'With moments in the game, especially with injuries, you need to be self-aware enough to know the guy is down, you have been there before and it is worse than disrespectful.'

Keane added: 'Know your players. He is obviously injured. He is not the type of player to do it. Not good stuff that.'