Liverpool has been given a verdict on referee Chris Kavanagh after some baffling inconsistency that left Virgil van Dijk frustrated during the 3-0 Premier League defeat
Erling Haaland helped Manchester City beat Liverpool on Sunday
Erling Haaland helped Manchester City beat Liverpool on Sunday(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has attempted to explain why Erling Haaland was not cautioned for demanding a second yellow card for Ryan Gravenberch at Anfield.
The Liverpool ace was shown a red card in the second half of the weekend's clash which changed the course of the match. But while Ronald Araujo had been booked for asking for Marc Guehi to go into the referee's notebook, the same action was not taken against Haaland when he appeared to do something similar.
Araujo, who arrived in the summer from Barcelona, waved his hand to demand a yellow card, which is a standard booking. Haaland didn't make the action, but was swiftly in the ear of the official, Chris Kavanagh, to ask for Gravenberch to go.
A couple of minutes later, Haaland opened the scoring. Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki also netted in a 3-0 victory for Enzo Maresca's side, which maintained its 100 percent start.
"They've all run over, haven't they? But I think the referee has already made up his mind," Gallagher said on Sky Sports' Ref Watch segment.
"We talk about chucking yellow cards about, he didn't actually do that, did he? Araujo was yellow-carded after eight minutes, but there wasn't a yellow card for a foul in the first half.
Liverpool players react toward referee Chris Kavanagh after Ryan Gravenberch is sent off
Liverpool players react toward referee Chris Kavanagh after Ryan Gravenberch is sent off(Image: Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
"The first yellow card for a foul was actually on 47 minutes. He was allowing it to breathe, but unfortunately, from where he is stood, he picked the wrong one."
Andoni Iraola was left furious with the decision to send Gravenberch off. The Dutch midfielder was harshly given his first card for a tackle on Elliot Anderson.
"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.
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"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."
Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk echoed that sentiment. "Araujo got a yellow card for asking for a yellow card; there were so many other players from the other team asking for a red card," the center-back told reporters. "That’s just that, but we can’t use it as an excuse."