Mac Allister head pat sparks melee at Anfield

On Sunday, in the second half, in the 79th minute of the Premier League blockbuster match between the Reds and champions Arsenal at Anfield Road, a head pat from Liverpool number 10 Alexis Mac Allister on Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard sparked a rapid gathering that drove several experts up the wall.

Trigger: Mac Allister's provocative slap

Liverpool's number 10 Alexis Mac Allister bent down low to the injured Norwegian, spoke briefly with him and then gave him a pat on the back of the head, which some regarded as affectionate, while others saw it as provocative.

The provocative act immediately sparked a confrontation, as right‑back Jurrien Timber addressed the Argentine and within seconds gathered a group of players in red and pale‑yellow shirts.

Noni Madueke eventually faced Mac Allister, resulting in a contact that sent the Argentine to the ground as if struck by lightning.

Referee Andrew Madley then showed a yellow card to Mac Allister and one to Timber; Madueke went unpunished, even though he had already received a yellow.

Reactions from experts and referee

Sky Sports experts agreed with the referee's decision and criticised the Liverpool star's behaviour as excessive.

Gary Neville called the incident a “small head bump”, described the Argentine's reaction as “a bit over the top” and urged the player to “stand up”, calling the whole thing embarrassing.

Jamie Carragher called for a consistent approach against such head‑to‑head incidents and directed his criticism at referee boss Howard Webb, the Premier League and the managers, adding that next time Alex should be told to go down to receive a whistle.

Video referee Stuart Attwell judged Madueke's contact with Mac Allister as non‑violent and refrained from issuing a red card against the Arsenal winger.

Other controversial decisions and match outcome

In the first half, referee Andrew Madley denied Alexander Isak a free‑kick after the Swedish striker had been pulled by the shirt by Jurrien Timber.

The pulling caused Isak to miss a headed cross that would have been a clear goal chance, and former referee chief Keith Hackett called the decision a clear mistake.

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola said that Isak would have received the whistle if he had gone down during the incident, and called for more attention to such situations in the future.

A goal from Kai Havertz in the 16th minute gave champions Arsenal a 1‑0 win, returning them to the top of the table, while Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion became the first chasers; Liverpool suffered its second defeat of the season and fell behind Chelsea to fifth place.