Alexis Mac Allister’s attempts to get Noni Madueke sent off during Liverpool’s defeat to Arsenal have been branded a ‘joke’ and ’embarrassing’ by Reds legend Jamie Carragher.
Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the game at Anfield as the Gunners moved to the top of the Premier League table and Liverpool stayed fifth.
Andoni Iraola’s team had more possession, xG and shots than the visitors, but did not get a single one of their efforts on target.
As the home side pushed for an equaliser late on, tempers flared thanks to Mac Allister who sparked a dust-up.
Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard went down after a challenge with the Argentine, with Mac Allister then shouting something at the felled Norwegian before slapping him on the back of the head.
Jurrien Timber took umbrage with that and Madueke then got involved, squaring up to the Liverpool star and as their heads briefly met, Mac Allister went down holding his forehead.
Clearly it was an attempt to get the Gunners winger sent off, but neither the referee nor VAR were buying it and Madueke avoided any punishment.
Carragher made his feelings very clear on Mac Allister’s action, calling the World Cup winner ’embarrassing’ for his ‘joke’ of a response to the coming together.
‘I’m delighted he never got sent off there. We have got to be strong on calling people out and saying that this is embarrassing. I cant stand it,’ Carragher told Sky Sports.
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‘I think everybody in the country watching football this head-to-head stuff. If someone puts their head back and butts, or course red card, but this stuff about head-to-head and if someone touches, the other one goes down and the payer gets sent off.
‘As a game, as football, people in the Premier League, supporters, call your own people out for it.
‘I’m a Liverpool fan, that’s a joke from Mac Allister but it’s got to stop. People are trying to gain an advantage because they know they can because red cards are getting given for it.
‘Whether it’s from Howard Webb, the Premier League, the managers get together. This has got to stop. Stop getting red cards for this crap!’
A social media post from the Premier League Match Centre confirmed why there was no action taken against Madueke.
It read: ‘The referee’s call of no violent conduct by Madueke on Mac Allister was checked and confirmed by VAR.
‘VAR: “All of the situations have been checked and cleared. There is some contact as Madueke and Mac Allister square-up. In my opinion, it’s not forceful, not violent, not brutal.”‘
The officials did not get so much praise for failing to give a penalty to Liverpool in the first half when Timber pulled Alexander Isak’s shirt as the Swede jumped for a header.
Iraola told Sky Sports: ‘The Alex Isak one is a clear penalty. You hold the t-shirt; we can all see that he holds the t-shirt.
‘The ball just goes one centimetre in front of Alex. Alex is going to hit the ball in front of the goal.’
Asked if Isak should have made more of the incident to make it clear he was fouled, the Spaniard said: ‘The fact that you are even asking me that he should have gone to the floor, that’s the thing. If he goes to the floor, they call the penalty for me. They call the penalty 100 per cent.’
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