Liverpool vs Burnley referee had Arne Slot fuming before apology was issued live on-air

Andrew Madley will referee Liverpool vs Burnley at Anfield today, having previously officiated the chaotic Newcastle match where Amazon Prime later apologised for misreporting

Liverpool boss Arne Slot was left fuming with Andrew Madley's display when Liverpool played Newcastle earlier in the season(Image: Getty Images)

Liverpool is set to resume Premier League action this afternoon as Arne Slot's side hosts Burnley at Anfield. The Reds will be aiming to prolong their 11-match unbeaten streak against Scott Parker's squad, who are struggling at the wrong end of the table.

Andrew Madley will be the referee for the match at Anfield. The seasoned official is well-known for overseeing Liverpool's tumultuous 3-3 draw with Newcastle United in December 2024.

After issuing yellow cards to three Liverpool players in the first half at St James' Park, Reds manager Slot appeared both frustrated and visibly irate on the touchline. So much so that Amazon Prime presenter Dan Walker suggested post-match that Reds boss Slot had actually visited Madley in his dressing room during half-time, when Liverpool was down 1-0.

At the time, he stated, "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.", reports the Liverpool Echo.

When asked about the incident, Howe responded: "I don't think I'll go there. I think that's a can of worms. I tend to focus on my team."

However, Slot did not directly approach Madley – nor did he enter the referee's changing room during the half-time break.

Instead, it is believed that they exchanged words in the tunnel while walking side by side, with nothing inappropriate said during their brief chat.

This led Amazon Prime to issue an apology to Slot and Liverpool, attributing the error to a production misunderstanding.

Arne Slot reacts during Liverpool's Premier League draw with Newcastle United last season(Image: (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images))

Since that match against Newcastle, Madley has officiated three Liverpool Premier League games.

These include a 2-0 victory over Brentford in January last year, a 2-1 win against West Ham United four months later, and a 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in November.

Heading into the weekend, the Reds sit fourth in the Premier League, trailing Aston Villa by eight points and just two points ahead of Brentford. Slot conceded that this battle is their primary domestic concern.

He stated: "We haven't put ourselves in the most ideal position, especially if you compare it to where we were after six games (they won their first seven in all competitions).

"The reality is we are competing against these teams for the fourth position. There is still a lot for us to play for in the league."