According to a report by the Evening Standard on Sunday, November 1, 2026, Premier League officials have clarified the circumstances surrounding Arsenal winger Noni Madueke's decision not to receive a red card in the 1-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield.

In the dying moments of the Premier League match, Madueke got into a confrontation with Alexis Mac Allister, a midfielder for Liverpool, while he was already on a yellow card.

The altercation began when Mac Allister brought down Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, giving the away team a free kick close to their own penalty area.

Still, the referee's decision irritated the Liverpool midfielder, and he and Odegaard, who remained on the field, got into an argument. Madueke hurried over to confront Mac Allister and the Arsenal captain after it looked like Allister tapped him on the head.

As they stood face to face, the Arsenal winger cocked his head toward Mac Allister, infuriating fans of the opposing team.

There were fears that Madueke's involvement could lead to a second booking or a straight red card for violent conduct, considering he had already received a yellow card.

Andy Madley, the referee, chose not to send off the Arsenal winger but did show Jurrien Timber and Mac Allister yellow cards.

After the incident was reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), the Premier League's match center released an explanation confirming that Madueke's actions were not deemed violent.

Verified by VAR, the statement affirmed that the referee's decision to not send off the Arsenal player was supported.

While the video assistant referee did note that Madueke and Mac Allister made contact during the altercation, they determined that it did not constitute enough force or violence to merit a red card.

Gary Neville, a former Manchester United defender and current Sky Sports co-commentator, echoed these sentiments.

Neville said that the Liverpool midfielder had gone down too easily due to Mac Allister's reaction during the confrontation. He gave credit to the video assistant referees for assessing the situation correctly and declining to call a red card.

Arsenal maintained their 1-0 lead thanks to Madueke's continued participation on the field; a goal by Kai Havertz in the 16th minute gave Arsenal a crucial Premier League triumph at Anfield.