Liverpool 0-3 Man City: Andoni Iraola on "trouble" of Ryan Gravenberch red card as Anfield loss shows Premier League reality

Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola expressed immense frustration at Ryan Gravenberch's dismissal against Manchester City on Sunday.

The Reds suffered their first defeat of the Premier League season, losing 3-0 to Man City at Anfield, though the game was ultimately decided in the 62nd minute.

Gravenberch received a second yellow from referee Chris Kavanagh after a foul on Jeremy Doku, and that incident changed the course of the game.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the full-time whistle, Iraola was shocked by the first yellow card, saying: "I think the referee gets in trouble with the first one. Anderson still goes forward a couple of steps and decides to go down. He wasn’t even going to call a foul, he lets it go.

"When he [Anderson] goes down, he decides, I don’t know why [that] it’s a yellow card. We had like nine players behind the ball [when Gravenberch picked up his second caution]. They had a lot of players [to go through]. It’s not like it’s in the middle of the pitch, it’s a normal foul.

"He then gets in trouble, but he was put in trouble. It’s already difficult to press them when it’s XI vs. XI, so with one less and with the players already tired, it becomes a different game. You cannot be as aggressive, you have to wait and defend lower."

Gravenberch received his first yellow after fouling Elliot Anderson, though contact was minimal, and many observers felt that the 24-year-old should not have been sent off.

"The referee wasn't even going to call a foul!" Andoni Iraola on Ryan Gravenberch's sending off against Manchester City. https://t.co/obfNjEdDDi

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 11, 2026

Liverpool lose to Manchester City: Many positives to take from the game

When Liverpool had all 11 of their players on the pitch, they were arguably the better team, though the lack of firepower up front proved costly.

Lewis Koumas and Victor Munoz were industrious, while Bradley Barcola and Florian Wirtz disappointed, though none of the quartet were able to make the most of the attacking opportunities that came their way.

Perhaps the Merseysiders would have been more potent with Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai in the team.

At the other end of the pitch, Liverpool essentially nullified all of their opponents' threat, with City attempting just one shot inside the box prior to Gravenberch's dismissal.

Despite the resounding nature of the result, there are several positives for Iraola to point to in the coming weeks.

© Imago / David Rawcliffe, Propaganda Photo

Liverpool 0-3 Man City: What does Anfield result mean for the Premier League?

The defeat leaves Iraola's side ninth in the table with nine points from a possible 18, though they are only one point from fourth-placed Brentford.

Liverpool fans had hoped that a win would propel the club into a title challenge, but they are already nine points behind first-placed City.

Securing Champions League football will be the priority for the Reds this season as they grow under Iraola, and anything else they achieve should be seen as a bonus.