Ex-PGMOL chief slams Andy Madley over Freddie Woodman incident in Liverpool vs Crystal Palace
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Credit: Imago / beIN Sports Liverpool vs Crystal Palace: Ex-PGMOL chief slams Andy Madley over bizarre Freddie Woodman incident Sat 25 April 2026 18:00, UK Andy Madley should be disappointed by his “poor” officiating during Liverpool‘s 3-1 win over Crystal Palace at Anfield.That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that Palace’s goal should never have stood due to an injury to Freddie Woodman on Saturday, 25 April.After scoring twice in the first half, the Reds’ lead was halved when Daniel Munoz hit the back of the net, chipping the ball over Liverpool’s third-choice goalkeeper, who required treatment.Liverpool supporters were absolutely furious, as were the players, who thought play was going to be stopped, but the Eagles played on and reaped the rewards for doing so, however controversial.🚨 𝐁𝐈𝐆 controversy at Anfield!Freddie Woodman comes out to make a save and injures himself in the process before Daniel Munoz decides to loop the ball in from outside the box into an empty net.Should the referee have stopped the game before Crystal Palace had the chance to… pic.twitter.com/8G6gP8w2pG— Football Insider (@footyinsider247) April 25, 2026 View Tweet ⚽ Liverpool Matchday ⚽ Team news, line-ups, expert previews, VAR verdicts, and tactical analysis for every Reds fixture. VISIT THE LIVERPOOL MATCH HUB MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Andy Madley to blame as Liverpool concede strange goalThe anger was understandable, with the goalkeeper in desperate need of treatment inside his own penalty area, but the blame has been placed upon the referee’s shoulders by Hackett.Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former referee said: “The goalkeeper, clearly injured, is signalling that to the referee.
At that point, safety refereeing kicks in, and you stop play.“To allow play to continue is a poor piece of officiating.”The players were expecting the ball to be kicked out so that Woodman could seek treatment, but with Madley deciding against blowing his whistle, Oliver Glasner’s side fired home.Arne Slot couldn’t be clearer about Crystal Palace’s goalInstead of blaming the goalscorer, however, Arne Slot has fired digs at the referee, much like Hackett, stating that Madley should have blown his whistle instead of allowing play to continue.Speaking after the game, Slot was fuming, saying: “The number of times I’ve played against a team and then a player is on the floor, and the referee blows the whistle.“I don’t blame them, by the way, the referee should stop the game. It’s going to become a tactic to pretend you’re injured so the referee stops the play.
“Munoz, I think it’s 50-50 because some players wouldn’t have taken the shot. I don’t blame him as much as I blame the referee.”The Dutchman is absolutely spot-on, though his words are likely to land him in hot water with the PGMOL.Managers are usually punished for stepping even slightly over the line when talking about refereeing decisions, so Slot will be expecting a letter from Howard Webb following his comments. 🔴 Don’t Miss a Beat: Your Liverpool Insider Access Get the full story from Anfield and the AXA Training Centre with our dedicated expert hubs: Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of Merseyside.