Gravenberch sent off for a second yellow card, sparking City’s 3-0 win

Ryan Gravenberch's sending off during Liverpool's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City has faced heavy criticism from pundits, including Jamie Carragher. The referee, Chris Kavanagh, issued a second yellow card to Gravenberch for a challenge on Jeremy Doku while the match was still level at 0-0. Carragher labelled the decision as "shocking" and highlighted that Gravenberch had been Liverpool's standout player until that moment.

The dismissal proved pivotal, with Erling Haaland scoring just two minutes and 37 seconds later, followed by Jeremy Doku doubling the lead shortly after. Rayan Cherki added a third goal for City with 12 minutes remaining, effectively sealing the match. Before Gravenberch's red card, the game had been tightly contested, with both teams showing equal strength.

Carragher expressed frustration over the referee's initial yellow card for Gravenberch, calling it a "nothing challenge" on Elliot Anderson. He noted that the referee seemed to issue the card only after believing Anderson was hurt, which Carragher argued should not influence the decision on whether a foul warranted a yellow card. Other pundits echoed this sentiment, describing the first yellow as very soft.

Gary Neville commented that while Gravenberch's second yellow was soft, he acknowledged that the midfielder had put himself in a difficult position knowing he was already on a yellow card. Roy Keane remarked that Liverpool struggled to cope with City's dominance following the red card, while Daniel Sturridge described the decision as a turning point in the match.

Micah Richards also questioned the validity of Gravenberch's first booking, stating that it was too lenient for a yellow card. The consensus among the pundits was that the sending off significantly altered the course of the match, with City taking full advantage after Liverpool went down to ten men.

via Sky Sports