Liverpool great Steven Gerrard has said the decision to show Ryan Gravenberch a red card against Manchester City was wrong, and highlighted a telling reaction from ProRef chief Howard Webb. Gravenberch was shown a second yellow card in the second half following a challenge on Jeremy Doku.
First booking labelled an embarrassment
It came after he was cautioned for a foul on Elliot Anderson earlier in the game. It has been argued that the decision was harsh, with the Liverpool midfielder described as 'very unlucky' to be dismissed.
The scoreline was still at 0-0 when the red card was shown. City quickly made the most of their numerical advantage, with goals from Erling Haaland, Doku and Rayan Cherki sealing a 3-0 win for Enzo Maresca's side.
Gerrard's verdict on the decision
The game-changing decision was criticised by both Virgil van Dijk and Andoni Iraola, and Gerrard agrees with the Liverpool camp. "The first yellow card is an embarrassment from the referee," Gerrard said on The Overlap.
"I was 10 seats down from Howard Webb and I was looking at him and I knew what he was thinking - the referee has messed up massively on the first booking.
"The second one is probably a yellow card, stopping the counter-attack. It is probably a mistake from Gravenberch, but he was outstanding. It is the best he has played for some time.
Gravenberch's role and suspension
"He proved to me that he is more of an eight than a six. It suits him more to play with Alexis Mac Allister in there.
"He has played that deeper role well in the past, but he has too much energy to play there. You have to play to his strengths."
Liverpool are back in action this week as they travel to take on LASK in the Champions League on Wednesday evening (5.45pm kick-off). Gravenberch will be available for the match, but will be suspended for Saturday's Premier League trip to Brentford.
"I think the first foul of Ryan is never a yellow card... never," Iraola said in his post-match press conference. "These kinds of games, just a stomp on the big toe, or something minor. He doesn't even call the foul straight away. He lets it go; I think Anderson does a couple of steps.
"He decides to go down. I don't know why after he shows the yellow card, because it's not a situation where it leaves an advantage. We had nine players behind the ball.
"It's like they had a lot of, you know, it was in the middle of the pitch, no danger there. And then you put, as a referee, yourself in trouble, and also you put us in trouble."
