Roy Keane, former Manchester United captain, spoke out himself! He said pushing an injured player off the field is not normal and expressed surprise at the reaction of Liverpool players.
On 9 Jan 2025 GMT+7, Roy Keane, former Manchester United captain, criticized a dramatic incident during the English Premier League match where Arsenal hosted Liverpool and drew 0-0. He insisted that attempting to push an injured player off the field “is not normal” and is behavior that should not occur in football. He also admitted being surprised that Liverpool players did not respond more strongly.
The incident happened during stoppage time in the second half when Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley fell in pain after a tackle. While the medical team was about to attend him, Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli threw the ball at Bradley and then tried to push the Northern Ireland international off the field to resume play.
Roy Keane said on Sky Sports, “I really dislike it. I've experienced something like this before. The ball-throwing, standing over him, even using the knee to push — it seemed like forcing him off the field. This kind of behavior is utterly shameful.”
The former Ireland midfielder also admitted surprise at Liverpool players' reaction to the incident: “I was surprised Liverpool players didn’t confront him more. This shouldn't happen. Hopefully, he reviews the footage and apologizes.”
The match result kept Arsenal at the top of the table with 49 points from 21 games, while Liverpool remained fourth with 35 points from 21 matches.
Regarding upcoming Premier League fixtures, Arsenal will visit Forest on Saturday at 00:30 GMT+7, while Liverpool will host Burnley on Saturday at 22:00 GMT+7.