Liverpool is set to be reunited with referee Andrew Madley against West Ham this weekend, with the official having been involved in a controversy that led to an apology being sent to Arne Slot.
The Reds host the Hammers at Anfield on Sunday as they continue their charge for the Premier League title. Their quest for the crown stalled against Fulham as they fell to just their second league defeat of the season.
Liverpool still remains a maximum of 11 points away from being confirmed as champion though after Arsenal could only claim a draw at Everton. But given the Reds’ recent form – which has seen them lose three of their last four games in all competitions – there is some concern starting to creep in among some supporters.
Slot’s men will hope to ease any worries when they face West Ham, and they’ll be hoping for a quieter afternoon for the referee as well. The Reds’ last two games have seen a number of contentious moments, with Virgil van Dijk the latest to receive some harsh criticism from former officials.
Madley will be the man in charge on the field on Sunday, with John Brooks on VAR duty. The former of those has already experienced some controversy this season after Liverpool’s clash at Newcastle back in December.
Slot was left visibly angered by Madley’s performance, with the Liverpool boss believed to have exchanged words with the official in the tunnel at half-time with his side a goal down. The Reds would go on to pick up a point, although they were made to rue a last-minute equalizer from the hosts as they drew 3-3.
(Image: Getty Images)
During the game’s broadcast on Amazon Prime Video, host Dan Walker seemed to imply that Slot had entered the referee’s dressing room, which is prohibited by regulations.
Speaking over footage of Slot and Newcastle assistant Jason Tindall speaking to Madley, Walker said: “Before the game he (Madley) said if you want to come and see me at any point, you can. He didn’t specify, here it is, you can see this (the footage) here, he didn’t specify that that was at half-time or full-time.
“We do know that Arne Slot went to see him at the break, after 45 minutes, and obviously, Eddie Howe wasn’t best-pleased about that. I’m sure there’s going to be more said and more written and more spoken about that in the future.”
Learn more
Walker would go on to make the claim again in a question to Eddie Howe after the game, which the Newcastle boss chose not to answer directly. However, it was understood Slot hadn’t in fact approached Madley or entered the referee’s dressing room at half-time.
Amazon Prime would go on to issue an apology to Slot, with the mistake blamed on a production misunderstanding.
Madley has officiated a Liverpool game since that controversy, having taken charge of the Reds’ dramatic 2-0 win at Brentford in January in which Darwin Nunez scored twice in stoppage time. No doubt the official will be eager for a quieter afternoon at Anfield on Sunday.
