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Referee Andy Madley is set to officiate Liverpool's upcoming match against Nottingham Forest at Anfield this weekend, as the Reds return to Premier League action.
The 42-year-old referee was embroiled in several contentious decisions during last season's top-tier matches, including a particular game that ruffled feathers with Liverpool's manager, Arne Slot.
Slot had a notable disagreement with Madley during Liverpool's 3-3 draw against Newcastle United back in December 2024, among other high-profile incidents throughout the season. Madley will undoubtedly be hoping for a less eventful match at Anfield this weekend when they face Sean Dyche's squad, as it's not the first time he's dealt with a tough Liverpool game.
During Liverpool's 3-3 draw against Eddie Howe's team last season, Madley found himself on the receiving end of Slot's ire.
The Dutch manager was spotted having a heated exchange with the referee as they made their way down the tunnel at half-time, and was later accused of confronting Madley in his dressing room, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Amazon Prime presenter Dan Walker commented during the broadcast: "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."
However, it's understood by the ECHO that this exchange didn't occur, despite Slot and Madley having a brief chat in the tunnel.
It's also believed that the Liverpool boss didn't say anything inappropriate during their conversation. Amazon Prime later issued an apology to Slot, attributing the error to a production misunderstanding.
When quizzed about the incident later in the day, Howe responded: "I don't think I'll go there because I think that's a can of worms that I should not [open]."
Slot is expected to welcome back several key players for this weekend's game, perhaps most notably Alisson Becker.
The Brazilian goalkeeper is likely to be available for the Forest game, and if so, will likely replace Giorgi Mamardashvili, who has acted as understudy over the last few weeks.
In Alisson's absence, the Reds have shipped ten goals - only keeping one clean sheet. The Brazilian could be joined on the teamsheet by Alexander Isak, who was left on the bench for Sweden this week, having only played half an hour on Saturday.
Isak, the club's record signing, is yet to find the net in the league for Liverpool, and is yet to really start to repay the extortionate transfer fee paid for him.
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