Jamie Carragher calls Ryan Gravenberch red card 'a shocking decision' as Liverpool collapse against Manchester City
Carragher: 'It's such a poor decision by the referee'
Ryan Gravenberch's sending off in Liverpool's 3-0 home defeat to Manchester City was a "shocking decision" by referee Chris Kavanagh, according to Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.
Gravenberch, the standout player for an hour, was shown red after receiving a second yellow card for a challenge on Jérémy Doku with the game still tied at 0-0. The dismissal proved the turning point, with Manchester City scoring three times in the remaining period at Anfield.
The first yellow that frustrated Anfield's critics
It was Gravenberch's first caution, handed out shortly after the restart for a foul on City midfielder Elliot Anderson, that drew the strongest reaction. Carragher described it as a "nothing challenge" and questioned the referee's reasoning.
"It's such a poor decision by the referee," Carragher said after the game. "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." He added: "It's barely a foul. It's a shocking decision."
On co-commentary, Carragher said: "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."
Neville: second booking 'very soft' but avoidable
Sky Sports' Gary Neville, also on co-commentary, said Gravenberch's second yellow was "very soft" — while acknowledging the midfielder had given the official a decision to make.
"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?" Neville said. "He's given the referee a dilemma."
Keane and Sturridge point to the aftermath
Roy Keane felt the dismissal swung the match City's way but was scathing about how Liverpool responded to going a man down.
"I don't see how he can get a yellow card for that," Keane said of the first booking. "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."
Daniel Sturridge was in full agreement, calling the decision to award Gravenberch's first yellow card "a joke". "The game changed on the red card. We have to be truthful about that," he said on Sky Sports. "City delivered after the red card changed the game. Prior to that, it was very even."
Micah Richards was equally puzzled by the initial caution. "That is soft. How is that a yellow card? I don't understand," said Richards.
What came next
Erling Haaland opened the scoring two minutes and 37 seconds after Gravenberch's dismissal, with Jérémy Doku doubling City's lead six minutes later and Rayan Cherki adding a third with 12 minutes to play. City had registered an expected goals figure of just 0.16 before the red card, before running riot against 10 men.