After the dust settled on an incredibly dramatic Merseyside Derby, Liverpool’s Conor Bradley spoke out about the tense moments on the pitch.
However, he carefully avoided delving into the controversial refereeing decisions, admitting that discussing referee Michael Oliver could land him in hot water.
Tension On and Off the Pitch at Goodison Park
The 2-2 draw between Liverpool and Everton at Goodison Park on Wednesday night was overshadowed by heated confrontations and multiple red cards.
The post-match chaos began with a brawl between Curtis Jones and Abdoulaye Doucoure, which saw both players sent off.
But that wasn’t all – even managers Arne Slot and Sipke Hulshoff were dismissed after a fiery exchange with referee Michael Oliver.
The confrontation continued after the final whistle when Doucoure celebrated in front of the Liverpool fans, only for Jones to charge towards him. The players were soon separated by stewards and police as tensions remained high.
Bradley Stays Silent on Referee’s Decisions
Despite the drama, Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley kept his thoughts on the referee to himself.
Reflecting on his own yellow card, Bradley admitted he was cautious about commenting, knowing that criticizing the referee could lead to trouble.
“I felt like I had to be careful, especially after getting the yellow card,” Bradley explained.
“I don’t think I deserved it, but I don’t think we should talk about the referee. I’d probably get myself in trouble.”
Bradley also expressed his frustration with the timing of the yellow card, which came just moments before Doucoure received his own first booking.
The yellow card came during extra time of the first half, just before the dramatic equalizer from Everton’s James Tarkowski.
The Uncertainty After the Final Whistle
Bradley and his teammates were left disappointed after the final whistle, especially as Everton seemed to get an extra chance to score.
Prior to Tarkowski’s goal, Everton players Branthwaite and Alcaraz clashed heads, prompting a two-minute stoppage for medical treatment.
Bradley believed the delay may have given Everton an unfair advantage, especially as it led directly to the equalizer.
“Yeah, it did [give them an advantage],” Bradley admitted.
“I don’t even think they should have got the ball back after that, but it gave them one more chance.”
The equalizer meant Liverpool lost out on valuable points, and Bradley could only express disappointment, acknowledging the hard-fought match was a missed opportunity.
Looking Forward to the Next Game
Despite the frustration of the draw, Bradley focused on bouncing back in the next match against Wolves.
“We have to bounce back on Sunday and hopefully get the three points,” he said, adding that Liverpool’s strong position at the top of the table, with 57 points, was still something to be proud of.
“Of course, it’s a good position,” Bradley reflected.
“We’ve just got to keep going, keep working hard every day, and keep improving.
We know there’s still a lot of games to go and just have to keep our heads down and keep going.”
As Liverpool looks ahead to the rest of the season, the team knows they can’t afford to dwell on the loss of points at Goodison Park.
The key, according to Bradley, is focusing on the upcoming games and maintaining momentum.
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