Did Ryan Gravenberch deserve a red card vs. Manchester City? 🟥 | ESPN FC

Name: Did Ryan Gravenberch deserve a red card vs. Manchester City? 🟥 | ESPN FC
Uploaded: 2026-10-11T21:52:21+00:00
Duration: 10 min 9 s
Description: The show debates Ryan Gravenberch's second yellow and red card in Liverpool vs Manchester City: one side sees the first yellow as too soft and the red as game-changing, while the other insists…

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ESPN FC debates Ryan Gravenberch's red card against Man City, City's title credentials and Liverpool's issues

The show debates Ryan Gravenberch's second yellow and red card in Liverpool vs Manchester City: one side sees the first yellow as too soft and the red as game-changing, while the other insists referees must apply the laws and players must manage the risk. The panel then argues that City looked stronger and showed title credentials at Anfield, with Elliot Anderson standing out, while Liverpool are hampered by injuries and full-back problems.

Ryan Gravenberch's first foul should never be a yellow card, and the second yellow should not have led to a red — The contact was only a minor stamp, the referee did not call it immediately, Elliot Anderson took a few steps before going down, and there was no danger in midfield or clear advantage to play.
By the letter of the law this challenge can be a yellow and therefore a red, but as a football decision it was terrible — Challenges like this have often been given as only a yellow, and the referee should read the temperature and context of the game; the red card completely changed the match.
A referee's job is to enforce the laws, not to look after the game and keep it 11 against 11; if context overrides the law, you do not need a referee — Referees must officiate what is in front of them rather than let fouls go for flow or entertainment; the decision has a huge impact and cannot be excused as game management.
I would have bet on City even before the red card; Liverpool might not have scored with 11 men, and City were the better team — Liverpool pressed well early but never looked like creating a goal, while City grew stronger and stronger; the red card was not the only decisive factor.
I side more with Craig: Gravenberch put himself in a position where the referee had to make a decision, and after an early yellow he had to adapt — The referee could have managed the situation better, but the player is also responsible; every player knows a booking changes how you must play, so the blame cannot all be on the referee.
The hostility at Anfield was overplayed and City's players were not fazed; this was no longer the same Klopp-era Liverpool-City rivalry — City always face hostility at Anfield, so the atmosphere was still hostile but not new; the key difference was that both squads and managers have changed, and City showed composure and hunger.
Elliot Anderson has become a key pillar for City in the title race — He looked rusty and off the pace in the Community Shield, but has grown increasingly important, much like he has been for England; he is always in the middle of things and usually makes good decisions.
City are firmly in the title race, and it is wrong to treat Arsenal as the only real favorite — City's overall performance at Anfield was impressive, showing squad depth and fight, and they made an early statement this season.
Liverpool's squad problems are real, with issues at both full-back positions and injuries holding them back — They are missing players who have produced this season, and those gaps are even more damaging against City.

On ESPN FC, Craig Burley, Nedum Onuoha and Stevie Nicol weigh in Liverpool's 3-0 loss to Manchester City and Ryan Gravenberch's red card (62'). ✔️ Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/ ESPN ESPNFC

Transcript

Welcome in to latest edition of ESPNFC. I'm Dan Thomas joined by Craig Burley and Stevie Nicker. We will kick things off in the Premier League. All eyes on Anfield today as Liverpool took on Manchester City. This of course the first game since Manchester City were found guilty as they would win by three goals to nil. All the talk afterward though was about the red card. Here's Iola. >> I think the first foul of Ryan is never a yellow card. Never this kind of games. Just a stomp in the I think in the big toe or something like minor. He doesn't even call the foul straight away. He leaves it go. I think Leot Anderson does a couple of steps. He decides to go down. I don't know why after he shows the yellow car because it's not a situation where leaves advantage is 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 a referee yourself in travel and also you put us in in in travel. Let's welcome in shall we native manua joins us where from native in a moment but let's start off uh with Stevie let's simply should it should he have been sent off um I think by the letter of the law the way the game's been refereed uh it's the type of challenge that we've seen on numerous occasions over the years been given as a yellow card we can call it soft we can call it whatever so technically I think it's a yellow and because he's already got one technically it's a red card, but he's there to look after the game, keep it flowing, understand the temperature of the game. You know, otherwise, we could just have somebody sat in the stand blowing a whistle for fouls and off size or whatever you want. And I don't believe that from a foot a football standpoint, I thought it was a terrible decision because there's no question that decision changed again. It completely changed the game. >> You've just said it was it was a correct decision. I said technically. >> Well, there you go. >> Technically, it's it's a yellow card. We've seen it given a thousand times. I'm talking about looking after the game. >> It's not his job to look after the game. It's his job. No, it's not. >> Well, we don't need a referee then. We need somebody. Well, we need somebody in the stand. >> Stupid. It's his job. >> What do you mean stupid? It's the same thing. >> It's his job to officiate the game. It's not his job to say, I tell you what, bit unlucky there with that challenge, but I want to keep it 11. >> No, you're turning it. You're turning it. You're just turning it into something. It's not. He's there to look after the game. >> Oh, are stupid. >> The fact he's got decisions to make, right? Every We've sat here and we're all kind of going, "Yeah, technically it's a a yellow bit. Should he have given it?" So, the referee has decisions to make. That has a huge impact on the game. >> Yeah. >> And he got it completely wrong. >> You just told me by >> he got it. He's got it wrong and the context of the game >> when you just said technically it was correct. Again, if that's what by the sounds of it, you just want somebody to get stand in the middle with a rule book and then just keep blowing the whistle. >> I want somebody to implement the laws of the game. >> Interpret the laws of the game then. Interpret it in the context of the game. Yeah. Wrongly. >> Wrongly. >> Ste, you make yourself sound stupid. You've just said one person sounds stupid here by the way. What are you talking about? >> You want a guy to referee the game to suit Liverpool or Man City? That's not what I said at all. >> We've all played in big games. We've all played big games. Nobody wants people to be. You have to officiate the game. I never said that >> by what's in front of you. You can't come on here and say technically that's correct and then go 2 minutes later or less than that say this was a terrible. >> Let's get robots in. >> What do you mean? We'll get a robot then. We don't need a guy. We don't need a guy to interpret the game. >> We're splitting hairs here. Whether you think he should get sent off or not, right? He he he put himself in a position Ryan Grainber. That's the bottom line. We're splitting hairs here. Liverpool were not great either way, right? Their big stars never turned up again. Florian versus Barcola never turned up, right? That's that's should be more concerning for for >> That's not what we're talking about. Nobody's disagreeing that Liverpool weren't very good. >> We're not That's not what That's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about the decisions for the referee that that changed the game. >> That's what we're talking about. >> So, are we This is This is a a dar question because it is hypothetical. Are we in a situation where if Liverpool stayed with 11 men, Manchester City wouldn't have found a way in the end? >> I'm not saying that at all. Listen, if if you had said to me before he got sent off, right, I want you to put money on who's going to win this, right? >> I would have put my money on City. Listen, Liverpool will never Liverpool could still be playing right now and wouldn't have scored. And as well as well as they started, they only started well because they squeezed City. City were making sure they were safe. And the front four in particular did a great job of closing the ball down and winning it back. However, in that first 25 minutes when they did win it back, they never looked like they were going to create a score or anything. And then City just got stronger and stronger. So, this is not about who the best team. City the best team. >> You asked me about that one decision. That's what I'm talking about. >> So, where was this cauldron you told us about? >> It was a So, what happened for 25 minutes? >> Nothing. >> Nothing. Exactly. >> Exactly. So, where was the cauldron? >> Where was the game play? Where was the cauldron city were going to walk into the game? They'll not have seen this was you last week. They'll not have seen anything like this in the first 15 or 20 minutes. What? A few people singing you're going down and booing the players. >> A few people singing go out. >> Oh, the bus arriving and a few people shouting at that really that really affected the >> Did you watch the people that actually showed the game? They were talking about hooliganism and all kinds. >> Yeah. there >> and all of a sudden you it's like >> if you watched if you watched the host broadcast here in America they were in cloud cooking but what was going on the city players were hardly phased by any of it. >> Yeah. >> None of it. None. Which is what we said a few banners a few booze and even Liverpool fans in the end were going we're just fed up doing this because what we're watching in front of us for our own team >> is pretty flat. So, you know, a city where it wasn't the sickest city I've ever seen, but it was certainly good enough. They just got better and better. Welcome to the show, Nathan. >> Yeah, I think to be honest, the the game basically hinged on a red card, didn't it? And I think I'm more on Craig's side of things here that, you know, yes, maybe the referee could have managed the situation, but so could Grainberg. Grabber has put himself in a situation where the ref has to make a decision. I think we've all had yellow cards before and played a slightly different game to the one that we're playing before. You know, we had that initial caution, but from then, you know, City kind of showed like the position they're in relatively speaking compared to Liverpool. Obviously for Liverpool, some of the injuries with Gako, Eac, so you know, these players, they really do matter from Liverpool perspective for Iola if he wants to be successful. But I think there's a lot of talk about this game about the atmosphere and so on and the hostilities. But I think some of that in my mind is sort of perceived as if it was like a Jurgen Klopps Liverpool side with all the same characters from the time who went toe-to-toe with City, but instead this match itself was played between two completely different sets of players that don't necessarily have the same sort of feel that the the fans do themselves. Yes, the atmosphere was very very partisan, but I'll be honest with you, when you are a Man City player, supporter, whatever, it is always hostile going over to that side. Yes, the songs were a little bit different now, but it was no less say hostile than say other times gone by because you know that sort of olive branch is never really offered whenever somebody comes from Manchester to play Anfield anyway. But on the day I think the result that the the you know the composure that say players showed they were up for the occasion which is obviously a huge thing for me to be able to see. But then as a reminder, City and Liverpool have played in far bigger games in years gone by, more so towards the back end of seasons where something is really on the line. And this game for as much as it was really emotional based on the the charges and the guilty verdict and so on, at some point is going to turn into a game of football between two clubs and two new positions with two new managers who essentially, you know, they haven't formed a part of the club's history as such. >> Who stood out for you, Nathan? Who did you like from City today? >> Riff. Yeah, the ref obviously did very very well. Um, you know, I I've I've really grown to sort of like the way that Ellie Anderson fits in with this Man City side. I think when we saw him playing the Community Shield, you sort of wondered what his role is going to be, like how he's going to fit into this side. Looked really rusty, looked like he was off the pace, might take him a long time to settle in. Then as times passed, you know, he's been integral for them the same way it has been for England and say these last international breaks. So yeah, I like um I like what he's doing. But then also Harland stepping up again scoring in the big moments and that goal from Ryan Sherky incredible. In fact, the Shery goal, the Daku goal, Dou scored a similar one. I think it was against Liverpool last season around maybe January time, but it was at the Etihad. So, he's obviously got a feel for that sort of moment, but I think in some ways City are just showing that they have the squad available. They have, you know, obviously they're going to be seen as villains everywhere they go. But for some of them, maybe that's not new. But they're very much up for the challenge. They're up for the fight. And this was, you know, the number one place to be able to test that team spirit. Yeah, it was impressive, wasn't it? Like from City overall. We'll talk about Liverpool and their weaknesses later, but overall City are in this title race. There's no doubt about it. We all sat here and said Arsenal going to win and we we discussed who might finish second, but City really have sat out there so early here and and Elliot Anderson has. I mean, you you know he's on the field. >> If you're playing against him, you know he's there because anything that happens, he's right in the middle of it. >> You know, he's he's getting fell for the the first card. He's making breaks into the penalty box. I mean, regardless of where on the field it is, he always seems to be in the middle of it. And nine times out of 10, he's making good decisions and 100% he is absolutely pivotable for Man City if they want to win the league. >> We talk about Liverpool. >> So, how much can we >> He's got the same problem. He's got the same problems that lot had. He's got a problem at left back. He's got a problem at right back. He's got injured players. >> Yeah, injuries. Obviously, no top li that that that's a big thing. No, Eac got injured. >> Three three players that have actually produced something this season and you're playing against City. >> Yeah.