Ex-referee makes 'surprising' claim after Conor Bradley injury - 'Good point to raise'

Liverpool defender Conor Bradley is set to miss the rest of the season with the injury he sustained at Arsenal, with Gabriel Martinelli pushing him while he was on the ground

Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool confront Gabriel Martinelli after the Arsenal man pushed Conor Bradley.(Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Former PGMOL boss Keith Hackett has questioned whether referee Anthony Taylor could have arrived on the scene earlier to make Gabriel Martinelli aware of the seriousness of Conor Bradley's injury at the Emirates Stadium.

The Liverpool ace is set to miss the remainder of the season with a serious issue. Martinelli didn't realize that he was hurt and appeared to believe he was trying to waste time, so he gave him a shove.

Arne Slot played down the incident in his post-match press conference, something which Mikel Arteta praised him for, with Martinelli issuing a social media apology for his actions a few hours later.

Hackett says Taylor could have perhaps moved in more quickly to ensure the players knew that Bradley was really hurt. In any case, it is simply not the done thing to push someone who is down regardless.

"I've been involved recently in court cases, where one player takes another player to court on the basis that an injury has ruined their career," Hackett told Football Insider.

"There is always that risk, and a club could always try to sue a player because they’ve lost their player. It’s a good point to raise because, in football as a whole, the players have a duty of care towards their opponents.

Liverpool confirmed Conor Bradley is expected to miss the rest of the 2025/26 campaign with a 'significant' injury(Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

"Could the referee have got in earlier? What’s surprising is that some people didn't realize how serious the injury was, because there wasn’t an overreaction."

Ahead of the FA Cup tie at home to Barnsley, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk mentioned Bradley in his official matchday program notes, saying the whole squad is behind him on the road to recovery.

"The injury suffered by Conor in the closing stages of the match soured the evening for us all," Van Dijk writes. "I am sure you will all join me in wishing Conor a full and speedy recovery.

"We will be there for him every step of the way. In terms of the game, I think there are a lot of things we can reflect upon positively.

"The togetherness we showed, and the way we were able to defend as a team and then take control of the game in the second half, was very good, in my opinion.

"That represents the kind of spirit and mentality we need to show on a consistent basis going forward."

Several Liverpool players also posted on social media to wish Bradley well. The 22-year-old is set for surgery and will be sidelined for months, though no exact timeline has been placed on his return.