Former referee Chris Foy backed Andy Madley’s handling of the major incidents in Liverpool’s match against Arsenal at Anfield. Writing in The Guardian on 2 November, he used a weekend with seven VAR overturns across its first nine matches to explain why different contacts produced different responses.
The case for leaving the Anfield decision
Madley did not award a penalty when Jurriën Timber pulled Alexander Isak’s shirt as the Liverpool striker attacked a Bradley Barcola cross. VAR Stuart Attwell supported the on-field call.
Foy argued that slow motion emphasised the pull, while normal-speed footage showed brief contact whose effect on Isak’s movement was debatable. In his assessment, that did not establish the clear and obvious error needed to reverse the decision. Liverpool coach Andoni Iraola had expressed a different view of the incident.
Foy also supported Madley’s response to the confrontation between Noni Madueke and Alexis Mac Allister, judging that the contact did not amount to violent conduct. These are the author’s interpretations, rather than a new official ruling.
Why Mateta’s challenge was reviewed
At Crystal Palace against Tottenham, Jean-Philippe Mateta initially received a yellow card for a challenge from behind on Micky van de Ven. Foy described VAR Jarred Gillett identifying studs contacting the Achilles area while Mateta was away from the ball. Michael Oliver reviewed the incident and changed the sanction to red.
Foy considered that a clearer safety issue meeting the intervention threshold. His seven-overturn total covers only the first nine matches of that round at the reporting point.
The next round will offer further examples of how that threshold is applied. The analysis helps explain Foy’s reasoning without changing the results or disciplinary decisions already recorded.