Andy Madley and VAR upheld correct calls at Anfield, says Chris Foy

Referee Andy Madley and the VAR, Stuart Attwell, saw their key decisions in Liverpool’s Premier League game against Arsenal at Anfield at the weekend supported by video review, with Madley’s on-field calls left intact.

The most debated moment came when Jurriën Timber appeared to pull Alexander Isak’s shirt as Isak attempted to reach a Bradley Barcola cross; Madley ruled no penalty and Attwell backed that decision. Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola described it as a "clear, clear pull" and slow‑motion or freeze‑frame images can make the contact look more obvious, but at match speed the tug was brief and Timber used one hand, so the impact on Isak’s movement was arguable. For VAR to overturn an on-field call there must be a "clear and obvious error", a threshold the officials did not find met in this instance.

Madley also handled a later incident in the 79th minute involving Noni Madueke and Alexis Mac Allister, after a foul by Mac Allister on Martin Ødegaard led to a coming together in which the players’ heads touched and Mac Allister fell. Madley showed Mac Allister a yellow card, did not book Madueke—who had already been cautioned—and the VAR did not recommend a review because there was no evidence of a missed red card; Foy judged Madley’s management of the situation worthy of praise.

The weekend produced heavy VAR activity across the league, with seven overturns in the first nine Premier League matches. One of those early decisions saw Jean‑Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace have a yellow upgraded to a red after a challenge on Micky van de Ven; referee Michael Oliver initially issued a yellow but, following a review prompted by VAR Jarred Gillett, Oliver went to the monitor and sent Mateta off.

Gillett’s intervention in the Mateta incident was made under the protocol that VAR can initiate a review if it believes a "serious incident" was missed by the referee; the footage showed Mateta coming from behind, well away from the ball, and making full contact with his studs on Van de Ven’s achilles. That was judged to meet the definition of serious foul play, where a player endangers an opponent or uses excessive force, and so cleared the high bar for intervention in a way the Timber–Isak pull did not.

VAR also produced correct outcomes in a number of other matches: Aston Villa were awarded a penalty against Fulham after the ball struck Sander Berge’s arm in an unnatural position; Chelsea received a penalty against Manchester United following an aggressive challenge by Lisandro Martínez, who led with an arm and was subsequently given a second yellow and sent off. At Stamford Bridge two goals—one for each side—were overturned after review using semi‑automated offside technology.

Coventry conceded a penalty in their 3-1 win over Sunderland after VAR spotted a handball by Ethan Pinnock, and Leeds had a goal disallowed at Bournemouth when Dominic Calvert‑Lewin was found to have handled the ball on its way into the net, a situation the laws require to be ruled out even if accidental. Across these cases the reviews were handled quickly and smoothly by the officials at the VAR hub.

Debate over the Isak decision is likely to dominate refereeing discussion before the next round of fixtures, but the volume of correct interventions and the apparent efficiency of the VAR processes this weekend also warrant recognition.