Arsenal forward Noni Madueke gave a four-word answer when asked whether he would have swapped shirts with Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister after the 1-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield.
The flashpoint between Madueke and Mac Allister came in the 79th minute. The Liverpool midfielder fouled Martin Odegaard and leaned in to say something to the Arsenal captain while he was on the ground and appeared to tap him on the head.
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Madueke arrived at the scene and the pair clashed, with Mac Allister going down holding his face. Referee Andy Madley booked Mac Allister and Jurrien Timber but not Madueke, who was already on a booking after a foul on Bradley Barcola.
VAR backed the call from the referee. The Premier League Match Centre said on X that the referee’s decision of “no violent conduct by Madueke on Mac Allister” was checked and confirmed, and that while there was contact as the two squared up, it was “not forceful, not violent, not brutal”.
Kai Havertz had settled the match long before then, turning in Declan Rice’s low cross at the far post in the 16th minute after Alisson’s short goal kick was intercepted by Odegaard.
The result lifted Mikel Arteta‘s side three points clear at the top of the Premier League table with 24 points from nine games, while Liverpool sit fifth.
Speaking to Viaplay after the final whistle, Madueke replied with a four-word comment when asked if he would have swapped shirts with Mac Allister:
“I wish I did”
The Arsenal star also believes Mac Allister attempted to bait him into getting a red card. Madueke pointed to how the referee and VAR made the right decision, but also admitted that he was a bit tense during the time of the review of the incident.
He added:
“I don’t think it’s anything whether it’s a yellow card or a red card. The referee didn’t think that. VAR didn’t think that. So we all agreed there.
“It’s a natural movement. He’s obviously clever, he tried to bait me into getting a red card there, but obviously not.
“In my head I was thinking ‘Oh, it’s possible with VAR; it’s about whoever interprets it.’ I don’t know what they’re thinking. But thankfully it wasn’t.”
Madueke is expected to enjoy a lot more game time in the coming weeks after the injury to Bukayo Saka.
How has Madueke fared for Arsenal this season?
Opportunities have not come regularly for Madueke this season. He scored the winner at Nottingham Forest on October 18 as he came off the bench to help his team secure a 1-0 win. Madueke started on the left at Bayern Munich three days later, but Saka’s thigh injury in the 10th minute pushed him back to the right.
Madueke has scored just two goals in 11 appearances across all competitions this term. Arsenal are away at Slavia Praha in the Champions League on Wednesday and return to Premier League action on Saturday, when they host Hull City at the Emirates Stadium.
Edited by Nived Zenith
