Arsenal winger Noni Madueke has offered his assessment of Alexis Mac Allister's controversial confrontation during Sunday's Premier League meeting with Liverpool, describing the Argentine midfielder as "obviously clever" for attempting to provoke him.

According to a report by Metro on Monday, November 2, 2026, Madueke acknowledged that Mac Allister tried to bait him into committing an offence that could have resulted in a red card during Arsenal's 1-0 victory at Anfield.

The Gunners secured all three points through Kai Havertz's first-half goal, extending their advantage at the top of the Premier League table to three points.

However, the closing stages produced controversy when Mac Allister reacted angrily after Martin Odegaard went to ground.

The Liverpool midfielder shouted at the Arsenal captain and appeared to slap him on the back of the head, prompting Jurrien Timber to confront him.

Madueke subsequently became involved in the exchange, going face-to-face with the Argentine before Mac Allister went to ground and claimed he had been headbutted.

The incident attracted criticism from Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, who accused the midfielder of attempting to get Madueke sent off through an exaggerated reaction.

However, the Arsenal winger insisted that he understood what Mac Allister was trying to achieve.

"To be honest, I don’t think it’s anything. Whether it’s a yellow or red card, the referee didn’t think that. VAR didn’t think that. So we all agreed there," Madueke told Viaplay.

He added: "It’s a natural movement and he is obviously clever. He tried to bait me into getting a red card there."

Madueke also admitted that he briefly considered the possibility of being sent off because of how the incident might be interpreted by the match officials.

"In my head, I’ll be very honest with you guys, in my head I was thinking: 'It’s possible, you know, with VAR'. It’s about whoever interprets it. I don’t know what they’re thinking. But thankfully it wasn’t."

Carragher, meanwhile, called for stronger action against players who exaggerate physical contact in confrontations, describing Mac Allister's reaction as embarrassing.

The former Liverpool defender argued that such incidents encourage players to seek an unfair advantage by attempting to influence refereeing decisions.

The controversy added another talking point to an important victory for Arsenal, who left Anfield with three valuable points while Madueke avoided disciplinary action over the confrontation.