Liverpool fans divided over what they saw after Ryan Gravenberch’s Man City red card

Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City sparked a familiar argument among supporters: how much of the defeat could be attributed to the red card, and how much blame should be apportioned to the Reds for their dismal response to it?

Ryan Gravenberch was sent off in the 62nd minute while the game still goalless and full of life. City immediately made the extra man count, taking the lead through Erling Haaland just three minutes later. Jeremy Doku added a second after another three minutes, with Rayan Cherki completing the scoring 10 minutes later.

Some Liverpool fans on TalkingPoints felt Gravenberch’s dismissal, which was incredibly soft by any stretch, changed everything. They believed their side had been competing well enough before going down to ten men and were frustrated that the referee’s decision became such a decisive factor.

jonathan.gorrie 1 days ago Game was changed but still alarming to collapse relatively easily. Granted, it’s not a level playing field! 0 Reply Report

Others seemed to have little patience for that explanation, and though they accepted that the red card was an obvious turning point and made the Reds’ life much harder, they questioned Liverpool’s reaction to losing Gravenberch, and argued that those left on the pitch should have been much better equipped to repel City.

Not only did some fans feel that Liverpool had collapsed far too easily after going down to 10 men, they also rued the fact that before it happened, the Reds had had the better of the chances before the hour mark.

Though he was not overly tested, Donnarumma made a couple of important saves from Lewis Koumas and Gravenberch, while Liverpool also threatened City by getting into dangerous areas more than once. Sadly, they did not make the most of it.

For some fans, that was the difference between the sides. Liverpool had chances to make the game more difficult for City but failed to take them, while Enzo Maresca’s team punished them when the opportunities came, extra man or not.

kevanpower8 1 days ago Liverpool were second best today there didn’t seem to be any fight and the sending off didn’t help. Best player for me young Lewis he didn’t stop trying also Munoz 0 Reply Report

The red card was a major turning point, but it did not stop supporters asking why Liverpool had been unable to make more of their earlier openings, or create better chances from good positions.

Andoni Iraola also came in for criticism, with some fans frustratedly questioning his tactics, substitutions and even his overall suitability for the role.

One supporter compared him with Unai Emery during his time at Arsenal, raising doubts about whether a manager who performs well at a smaller club can find the answers against the same opposition while managing a bigger side. Others pointed to squad depth and the need for Liverpool to adapt when a match is not going to plan.

Those are serious questions, but the comments were not a verdict shared by every supporter. The red card changed the circumstances considerably, making it difficult to separate criticism of the overall approach from the problems created by playing with ten men.

There was some praise amid the frustration. Victor Munoz was singled out positively, while Koumas was also commended for his effort, despite showing limited quality at times. With uncertainty over when Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo will be back available, Iraola will have to lean on them again amid a punishing fixture schedule.

markmarston 1 days ago Andoni Iraola is Unai Emery at Arsenal. Good at smaller clubs but doesn’t quite have a refined style of play for the big boys who play against low blocks every week… 0 Reply Report

The financial charges involving Man City also inevitably surfaced in the comments, with some supporters expressing wider frustration with the context in which the game was played. But the main debate was about Liverpool: whether the sending-off had made an otherwise competitive game look worse than it was, or whether the team’s response exposed problems that were already there.

As ever, there is no clear consensus among the fans. Some saw a game changed by one flawed decision, others saw a side that competed well enough but failed to cope when the pressure increased and immediately showed their deficiencies.

For Iraola, the more pressing issue will be how Liverpool respond in their next matches. One defeat, particularly one shaped by a red card, cannot settle the bigger questions about tactics or squad depth, but the frustration in the reaction suggests that for some supporters, the performance gave them more to worry about than the final score alone.

Fans won’t have to wait long to see how Liverpool cope 11 against 11, with Wednesday’s Champions League trip to LASK and a crucial showdown with Brentford on Saturday hopefully providing some clearer answers.