Ryan Gravenberch's sending-off turned Liverpool's game against Manchester City on its head, but a former Premier League referee believes Chris Kavanagh got his decision wrong
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 11: Ryan Gravenberch of Liverpool reacts after being shown a second yellow card and sent off by Referee, Chris Kavanagh during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Liverpool FC and Manchester City at Anfield on October 11, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
Ryan Gravenberch is shown his second yellow card and sent off against Manchester City(Image: Getty Images)
Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett believes Chris Kavanagh was wrong to show Ryan Gravenberch his first yellow card against Manchester City, which would eventually lead to the Liverpool midfielder being sent off.
Sunday’s game turned on the dismissal of the 24-year-old, which came just after the hour mark. Liverpool had looked to be building a head of steam before that point, with Gravenberch himself proving to be the Reds’ standout performer.
Just a few minutes after he was sent off, City took the lead through Erling Haaland and didn’t look back, with further goals from Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki rounding off a 3-0 win for the visitors on a tense afternoon following the club’s guilty verdict.
Gravenberch’s sending-off has proven a major talking point, with Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville agreeing that the decision was soft.
"It feels really harsh," Carragher said while commentating for Sky Sports. "The first one is not a yellow card, it was so harsh. The referee was far too quick to get the yellow card out.”
And former PGMOL chief Hackett agrees, having told Football Insider that he didn’t think Gravenberch should have been punished at all for his first challenge on Elliot Anderson.
"The referee did not have the ideal viewing angle and wrongly issued Ryan Gravenberch with a yellow card,” Hackett said. “Frankly, I did not see this as a foul, as the Man City player was off balance and going to ground.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 11: Liverpool players react towards referee Chris Kavanagh after Ryan Gravenberch of Liverpool is sent off during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Liverpool FC and Manchester City at Anfield on October 11, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Liverpool players argue with referee Chris Kavanagh after Ryan Gravenberch's sending-off
"In a game such as this, the manager has a decision to make. He should ask himself: Should I substitute this player after he has received that yellow card to avoid the risk of a second yellow followed by a red card?
"A pity, given the context of this game.
"It was a yellow card in law. However, in a high-profile game with a great deal of tension, the referee should have raised the threshold for yellow cards higher to keep the card count down.”
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Hackett’s verdict won’t come as much consolation to Liverpool and Andoni Iraola, who suffered their first defeat of the season, and are still waiting for a first home win in the Premier League.
"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 leaves it go, I think Elliott Andersen 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 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."