Iraola questions Gravenberch red card after Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat by Manchester City

Andoni Iraola has criticised Ryan Gravenberch’s dismissal after Liverpool were beaten 3-0 by Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.

The match was goalless after 62 minutes when Gravenberch was shown a second yellow card. Manchester City took control against 10 men, with Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki scoring in the second half.

Iraola believed Liverpool had been the stronger side before the sending-off and said the decision fundamentally changed the match.

“I think we played two different games – one until the red card and one from the red card until the end,” he said.

“I think we were the better team until the red card in the first 62 minutes. And they were better than us, obviously, after the red card and they scored the goals.”

The manager felt Gravenberch’s first booking was particularly harsh, insisting the challenge did not deserve a yellow card.

“I think the first foul of Ryan is never a yellow card – never,” Iraola said.

He also questioned the referee’s decision to allow play to continue after the initial contact before later booking the Liverpool midfielder. Iraola suggested that sequence left the officials in a difficult position and increased Liverpool’s risk of further disciplinary action.

Despite the result, Iraola praised his players’ commitment and credited the Anfield crowd for their backing throughout the match.

“I think the players deserve credit today because I think they’ve given everything,” he said. “I think also the supporters have been fantastic today – fantastic before, during, after.”

Iraola said the home support had given Liverpool a significant advantage during the opening hour, when his players matched the crowd’s intensity in their challenges and overall performance.

“For me, today we had a big advantage with Anfield, with the supporters. A massive advantage,” he said.

He added that the atmosphere had helped Liverpool compete with Manchester City before Gravenberch’s dismissal shifted the momentum.

Liverpool also face a quick turnaround before their next fixture, an away Champions League league-phase match against LASK in Linz on Wednesday.

Iraola provided an update on Dominik Szoboszlai, who returned from international duty with muscle tightness and an overload issue. Liverpool had tried to manage the midfielder’s workload during training, but the demanding schedule is making recovery more difficult.

“Now we play four games in 10 days, so it’s going to be difficult because we fly to Austria in two days,” he said.