Mac Allister at the centre of controversy after Liverpool-Arsenal

“Esto es una broma, no lo sporto, esto tiene que parar”: the phrase “Todos contra Mac Allister” captures the controversy surrounding the Argentine midfielder after Liverpool-Arsenal (0-1), played the previous day. Alexis Mac Allister shouted at Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard while he was on the ground, then tapped the back of his neck to urge him to get up.

Noni Madueke then stepped in to defend the Norwegian. After coming into contact with Mac Allister, he made very light head contact; the Liverpool player then went down in a way the account of the incident described as exaggerated. The episode quickly drew criticism.

Jamie Carragher, a former Liverpool player, accused Mac Allister of trying to get Madueke sent off by deceiving referee Andy Madley. “It’s a Mac Allister joke and it has to stop,” he insisted, arguing that players try to gain an advantage from such situations and that red cards are given as a result. He also raised the possibility of changing the rules.

Another former Liverpool player, Daniel Sturridge, offered a different reading of the physical exchange, while acknowledging that Mac Allister was trying to provoke his opponent. “There’s no forceful headbutt. It’s an approach and both are involved,” he said. In his view, the practice is not limited to the Argentine and is part of football, but Mac Allister knew what he was doing and his attempt did not work.

Ian Wright, who was commentating on the match alongside Carragher and Sturridge on Sky Sports, also called for a response. He urged changes to the rules to discourage players from trying to get opponents sent off, describing Mac Allister’s fall as an attempt to have someone dismissed.

Madueke, for his part, played down the incident. Speaking to Viaplay, he said he did not think it amounted to much: neither the referee nor the video assistant referee had considered a yellow or red card warranted, he explained. He also acknowledged that the movement was natural, while saying Mac Allister had tried to bait him into a sending-off. From Arsenal’s perspective, Mikel Arteta said he had not yet watched the footage back and declined to comment when asked by Sky Sports.