This weekend Liverpool played host to Arsenal but were beaten 1-0 by the reigning Premier League champions. The Gunners had not won at Anfield since 2012, when Mikel Arteta started in midfield for the club he now manages.

As such, the team from North London were more than delighted to come away with the win, which pushes them three points clear at the top of the table, and nine points ahead of the Reds in fifth. Kai Havertz's first-half goal was enough to seal the victory, but it wasn't the only talking point.

In particular, there was Anfield anger at some key moments that went against the home team. First, there was a strong penalty shout when Jurrien Timber pulled Alexander Isak's shirt. Having shown leniency there, referee Andy Madley and Stuart Attwell on VAR also opted against sending off Noni Madueke after he clashed with Alexis Mac Allister.

Clear Verdict Given on Alexis Mac Allister Incident With Noni Madueke

Liverpool star Mac Allister threw himself to the ground when Madueke pushed his head towards the midfielder. It was not the best display of sportsmanship from the Argentine, with former Premier League referee Graham Barber calling it 'despicable behaviour' when quizzed on the matter by GIVEMESPORT.

Adding to that, Jamie Carragher slammed Mac Allister on Sky Sports after the game, passionately stating: “I wanted Liverpool to win the game, but I’m delighted he [Madueke] never got sent off there. We have really got to be strong calling people out and just saying, ‘this is embarrassing’. “It’s got to stop. It’s ridiculous. I said it a couple of weeks ago with a similar sort of thing, I can’t stand it. I think everybody in the country watching football, this head-to-head stuff... if someone puts their head back and butts, of course, red card.

“But this stuff about head to head and if someone touches the other one goes down and the player gets sent off, as a game, as football, people in the Premier League, supporters, call your own people out for it."

Noni Madueke Speaks Out After Alexis Mac Allister Clash

Although Madueke didn't do much wrong, he still ended up being cast as a villain in the eyes of the Anfield crowd who naturally wanted him sent off during the game. It's worth noting that the Englishman was already on a yellow card when he clashed with Mac Allister – on another day, his involvement might have drawn a second yellow.

But the English winger stayed on for the full 90, and when the final whistle blew, his defiant delight was apparent. In fact, footage has now emerged of Madueke's apparent two-word gesture aimed at the Liverpool fans at full time, in which he appeared to bluntly say:

Speaking to reporters after the match, as per ESPN, Madueke insisted that there wasn't "anything" in the incident. He explained:

Even so, the Arsenal star did concede that he was worried VAR would intervene to punish him. He concluded: "In my head, I was thinking it's possible [to be sent off] with VAR, with whoever interprets it -- I don't know what they're thinking... But thankfully it wasn't."

Arsenal will face Hull City at home in their next league outing, while Liverpool travel away to Crystal Palace.