Portsmouth fans make feelings clear on Gabriel Martinelli after Conor Bradley surgery

The article reports on the reaction of Portsmouth supporters to the incident involving Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli and Liverpool defender Conor Bradley, who has since required surgery following the injury he sustained. During the match, Martinelli appeared to believe Bradley was exaggerating and tried to hurry him off the pitch, a decision that has drawn criticism once the seriousness of the problem became clear.

Portsmouth fans, watching on as neutrals, made their feelings known on social media. Many condemned Martinelli’s behaviour as lacking respect for an injured opponent and suggested that his actions symbolised a wider problem with gamesmanship and pressure in elite football. Others argued that, while his reaction looked bad in hindsight, it reflected the modern climate in which players regularly suspect rivals of time‑wasting and feigning injury.

The piece sets this reaction against Bradley’s subsequent need for surgery, which has only intensified the backlash. Supporters pointed out that a player requiring an operation clearly was not play‑acting, and they used this to question the culture that leads footballers to doubt the legitimacy of injuries so quickly. Some Portsmouth fans expressed sympathy for Bradley and frustration that a serious moment was initially treated as a tactical ploy.

At the same time, the article notes that Martinelli has since apologised and that such flashpoints are not unusual in high‑stakes matches. His response is framed as a reminder of how easily judgment can be clouded by adrenaline, especially in a sport where the line between genuine injury and gamesmanship is often blurred. The overall tone of the piece is that Portsmouth fans saw this incident as both a personal misstep from Martinelli and a reflection of a broader, uncomfortable reality in the modern game.