Gravenberch red card turns Anfield as Liverpool lose 3-0 to Man City
Ryan Gravenberch was sent off for a second yellow card in Liverpool's 3-0 home defeat to Manchester City, a decision Jamie Carragher called "shocking". The game was 0-0 when Gravenberch was dismissed for a challenge on Jeremy Doku, and City scored three times thereafter.
- Match: Liverpool 0-3 Manchester City
- Venue: Anfield
- Red card: Ryan Gravenberch (second yellow, challenge on Jeremy Doku)
- Goals: Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, Rayan Cherki
- Referee: Chris Kavanagh
- Key stat: Man City's xG was 0.16 before the sending off
What was said
"It's such a poor decision by the referee. The thing that frustrates me is that he wasn't going to give a yellow card. He only gives it when he thinks Anderson is hurt. That has nothing to do with whether a foul should or should not be a yellow card."
"It's barely a foul. It's a shocking decision."
"It feels really harsh when you think of the two challenges. The first one was not a yellow card. It was so harsh for a nothing challenge on Anderson, and the referee was far too quick to get the yellow card out."
"It's very soft. The only thing I would say is, knowing you're on a yellow and wrong side of Doku, does he need to make the challenge? He's given the referee a dilemma."
"I don't see how he can get a yellow card for that. The whole game then changes. Liverpool struggled with the physicality. There were spaces everywhere. Liverpool looked like they had four men sent off. City were controlling it. For the first hour it was a tight game."
"The game changed on the red card. We have to be truthful about that. City delivered after the red card changed the game. Prior to that, it was very even."
"That is soft. How is that a yellow card? I don't understand."
Carragher's anger is focused on the process, not just the outcome. He argues Kavanagh only reached for the card after Elliot Anderson stayed down, suggesting the referee reacted to the sight of a hurt player rather than the severity of the foul. That distinction matters: a yellow card should be judged on the challenge, not its aftermath.
Neville accepted the second yellow was "very soft" but still pointed at Gravenberch's decision-making, noting the midfielder knew he was on a booking and was on the wrong side of Doku. Keane, Sturridge and Richards were united on the first caution, all questioning how the challenge on Anderson warranted a card at all. The consensus in the Sky Sports studio was that the referee was too quick to book a player who had been the standout performer for an hour.
The numbers
- Man City xG before the red card: 0.16
- Time between red card and Haaland's opener: 2 minutes 37 seconds
- Time between red card and Doku's goal: within 6 minutes
- Cherki's goal: 12 minutes from time
- Score at the time of the sending off: 0-0
The xG figure is the most revealing. City had created almost nothing before Gravenberch walked. Once Liverpool were down to ten, the game became a siege, and City scored three times in the closing half-hour. The numbers support Keane's view that the red card, not City's earlier play, unlocked the match.
Why the red card changed the shape of the game
Ryan Gravenberch had been Liverpool's standout player for an hour, and his removal stripped the midfield of its legs. The first booking, for a foul on Elliot Anderson, was described by Carragher as a "nothing challenge". The second, on Jeremy Doku, came when the game was still 0-0. Without Gravenberch, Liverpool could not press as aggressively, and City's wide players found space.
Erling Haaland scored two minutes and 37 seconds after the dismissal. Doku doubled the lead within six minutes of the red card, and Rayan Cherki added a third with 12 minutes left. Keane said Liverpool "looked like they had four men sent off", a damning assessment of how the ten men collapsed. City's control was total once the extra man told.
Carragher also questioned Kavanagh's willingness to caution Gravenberch for the first challenge, calling it a "nothing challenge". He argued the referee "was far too quick to get the yellow card out". That impatience gave Gravenberch no margin for the second challenge, and once Doku got the wrong side of him, the midfielder was always risking a second booking. Neville's point that Gravenberch could have avoided the tackle is fair, but it sits alongside the view that the first yellow should never have been shown.
Talking points
- Should Chris Kavanagh have shown Gravenberch a first yellow for the foul on Elliot Anderson, or was he influenced by the player staying down?
- Does Gravenberch deserve blame for making the second challenge on Doku when he knew he was on a booking?
- Would Liverpool have held on for a draw, or even won, had the red card not been given, given City's xG was just 0.16?
- Liverpool "looked like they had four men sent off" — is that a fitness issue, a tactical failure, or simply a reaction to the injustice?
What happens next
Liverpool must now prepare without Ryan Gravenberch, who will serve a suspension following his second yellow card. The result leaves them reflecting on a match that was finely poised for an hour before the sending off. Manchester City, meanwhile, will take confidence from a dominant closing half-hour in which they scored three times through Haaland, Doku and Cherki. The focus will also remain on referee Chris Kavanagh and the standards of officiating in the Premier League.
Frequently asked questions
Why was Ryan Gravenberch sent off against Man City?
Gravenberch received a second yellow card for a challenge on Jeremy Doku with the game tied at 0-0. He had been booked earlier for a foul on Elliot Anderson.
What did Jamie Carragher say about the red card?
Carragher called it a "shocking decision" and said the first yellow was for a "nothing challenge", arguing the referee was too quick to book Gravenberch.
What was Man City's xG before the red card?
Manchester City had an xG of 0.16 before Gravenberch's sending off, according to the source. They then scored three goals after the dismissal.
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