Manchester City's 3-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday was supposed to provide an early indication of where two of the Premier League's biggest clubs stood after the international break. Instead, it produced a refereeing controversy, a remarkable second-half collapse and a series of contrasting reactions from managers, former players and television pundits.
For 62 minutes, Liverpool had competed on equal terms with the league leaders and appeared increasingly capable of troubling Enzo Maresca's side. Then Ryan Gravenberch received his second yellow card, Erling Haaland broke the deadlock, and the entire contest changed within minutes. Jérémy Doku and Rayan Cherki completed the scoring as City secured their sixth consecutive league victory, leaving Liverpool to reflect on a result that looked almost unimaginable midway through the second half.
The red card that divided Anfield
There was little to separate the teams before referee Chris Kavanagh dismissed Gravenberch in the 62nd minute. The Liverpool midfielder had been one of the most influential players on the pitch, breaking up attacks and helping the home side maintain their intensity in midfield. His second booking came following a challenge on Jérémy Doku, but the controversy surrounding the dismissal focused heavily on the first yellow card, awarded for an earlier foul on Elliot Anderson.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher was among the strongest critics of Kavanagh's decision. Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher argued that the referee had reacted to Anderson's apparent discomfort rather than the seriousness of the challenge itself, describing the booking as a "shocking decision". He believed Gravenberch had been unfortunate to receive either caution and suggested the referee had been too eager to reach for his cards.
Gary Neville also considered the second yellow card soft, although he raised a separate question about Gravenberch's decision-making. With the midfielder already booked and Doku moving away from him, Neville wondered whether the Liverpool player needed to attempt the challenge at all. His assessment introduced an important distinction: a referee's decision can be harsh without completely removing a player's responsibility to avoid unnecessary risks.
The criticism was not limited to former Liverpool players. Micah Richards, who spent most of his senior career at Manchester City, questioned how Gravenberch's first challenge warranted a booking, while Daniel Sturridge was equally dismissive of the decision. The unusually broad agreement among pundits from different footballing backgrounds highlighted just how contentious the incident had become.
Iraola: Liverpool played two different games
Andoni Iraola was convinced that the dismissal had fundamentally altered the contest. The Liverpool manager argued that his players had been the better side before the red card and that the final score did not reflect the balance of the opening hour. He praised the atmosphere created by the Anfield crowd and believed his team had been growing into the match when the decisive incident occurred.
Iraola reserved his strongest criticism for Gravenberch's first booking, insisting that the foul was too minor to deserve a yellow card. He also questioned why Kavanagh had initially allowed play to continue before eventually cautioning the midfielder, arguing that the referee had unnecessarily complicated the game for himself and for Liverpool.
However, Iraola did not dispute that Manchester City had been superior once Liverpool were reduced to ten men. His frustration was directed primarily at the circumstances that forced his team to play the final half-hour at a numerical disadvantage, rather than the quality of City's finishing. It was a distinction that became particularly relevant as other observers began questioning why Liverpool had fallen apart so dramatically.
Roy Keane questions Liverpool's collapse
Although the refereeing decision dominated much of the post-match discussion, Roy Keane was unwilling to let Liverpool escape criticism for their reaction. The former Manchester United captain agreed that Gravenberch's first booking was difficult to justify, but he was considerably less sympathetic about what happened after the midfielder left the pitch.
Keane's assessment was particularly severe because Liverpool appeared unable to adjust either physically or tactically. City suddenly found space across the pitch, Liverpool's defensive structure became increasingly stretched, and the visitors began to move the ball with a freedom they had rarely enjoyed during the opening hour. Keane remarked that Liverpool looked as though they had suffered several dismissals rather than just one.
The criticism raised a legitimate question about the home side's response. Playing with ten men against a team of City's quality is undoubtedly difficult, but conceding three goals in 13 minutes suggested that Liverpool's problems extended beyond simply being outnumbered. The speed of the collapse was especially striking given how competitive the contest had been before the sending-off.
From stalemate to rout in 13 minutes
62'
Ryan Gravenberch sent off
Second yellow card for a challenge on Doku
65'
Erling Haaland — 0-1
City take the lead less than three minutes after the dismissal
68'
Jérémy Doku — 0-2
A superb curling finish doubles the advantage
78'
Rayan Cherki — 0-3
An outstanding attacking move completes the victory
Before Gravenberch's dismissal, Manchester City had generated just 0.16 expected goals, a figure illustrating how effectively Liverpool had limited the visitors' opportunities. Once the numerical balance changed, however, City's attacking players capitalised almost immediately. Haaland scored after Doku helped create the opening, the Belgian then produced an excellent curling finish of his own, and Cherki added a third after a flowing move involving Elliot Anderson and Joško Gvardiol.
Doku's introduction in the 56th minute proved especially significant. His pace and direct running offered City a different attacking threat even before Gravenberch was sent off, while his involvement in the first two goals helped turn a difficult away fixture into a convincing victory. Cherki's finish provided the final flourish, but it was City's ability to recognise and exploit Liverpool's sudden vulnerability that ultimately decided the match.
Maresca praises City's mentality amid the controversy
For Manchester City, the victory carried significance beyond the three points. It was their first match since an independent commission found the club guilty of serious breaches of Premier League financial regulations, a decision City have appealed. Liverpool supporters made their feelings clear throughout the afternoon, with banners, chants and repeated accusations aimed at the visitors. The atmosphere ensured that City's players were operating under unusual pressure even before the first whistle.
Maresca acknowledged that his team had struggled during the first half, particularly when attempting to play through Liverpool's pressure. However, he was delighted by the adjustments made after the interval and singled out Doku's introduction as a decisive factor. The winger helped create Haaland's opening goal and scored a spectacular second, providing the attacking spark City had been missing earlier in the contest.
The Italian also stressed the importance of the result for the wider club, describing the victory as something that could help unite players, supporters and staff during a difficult period. Rather than engage extensively with the financial controversy, Maresca focused on his team's ability to handle the hostile atmosphere and respond through their performances. His message was that City could not control the external criticism, but they could control what happened on the pitch.
Haaland celebrates City's resilience and praises Anderson
Erling Haaland was equally enthusiastic about City's response to the occasion. The Norwegian striker described the match as a difficult mental challenge, particularly coming immediately after an extended international break. He praised his teammates for maintaining their composure and emphasised that the victory had been built on collective determination rather than individual performances.
Haaland also admitted that he had missed an excellent opportunity shortly before scoring, but explained that his focus had remained on finding another chance. His subsequent goal broke Liverpool's resistance and set the stage for City's devastating attacking spell. The striker was particularly pleased that his team had managed to score three times at Anfield, a venue where visiting sides rarely enjoy such convincing victories.
One of Haaland's most notable post-match observations concerned Elliot Anderson. The midfielder was named Player of the Match, and Haaland highlighted his willingness to compete physically, make tackles and dictate the tempo. Anderson's influence was particularly important once Liverpool lost Gravenberch, allowing City to establish control in an area of the pitch that had been fiercely contested throughout the first hour.
A statement victory, but what does it tell us about Liverpool?
The result leaves Manchester City with six wins from six Premier League matches and a three-point advantage over Arsenal. Maresca has maintained a perfect start to his league campaign, while the attacking contributions of Haaland, Doku and Cherki have strengthened the impression that City possess enough individual quality to decide matches even when their overall performance is not entirely convincing.
Liverpool, meanwhile, must separate the refereeing controversy from the shortcomings exposed after Gravenberch's dismissal. Iraola has reasonable grounds to question the first yellow card, and the reaction from Carragher, Neville, Keane, Richards and Sturridge suggests that his frustration is widely shared. Yet the collapse also raised concerns about Liverpool's ability to adapt when a match turns against them.
Injuries further complicated the situation. Liverpool were without Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai, forcing Iraola to start Lewis Koumas in attack. The young forward worked hard, but Liverpool lacked an established focal point capable of converting their periods of pressure into goals. With a demanding schedule approaching, the absence of several important attacking options represents another challenge for the new manager.
Perhaps the most revealing statistic was not the final score but the contrast between the two periods of the match. City had managed only 0.16 expected goals before the red card, yet ended the afternoon celebrating a three-goal victory. Their third goal, completed by Cherki after a sequence of 41 passes, demonstrated just how thoroughly control had shifted towards the visitors.
Liverpool may feel that the dismissal denied them an opportunity to secure a very different result, and the balance of the first 62 minutes supports that argument. But City still had to exploit their advantage, and they did so with ruthless efficiency. That was the essential difference between the teams on an afternoon when a controversial refereeing decision changed the contest, but the response to it ultimately determined the scale of the defeat.
Published by Patrick Jane
11.10.2026