Former Premier League referee Graham Barber has defended referee Chris Kavanagh’s decision to send off Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch during Liverpool’s 3–0 defeat to Manchester City at Anfield.
However, Barber believes the controversy surrounding the dismissal largely stems from the midfielder’s first yellow card.
How the Incident Happened
Liverpool were competing closely with Manchester City, and Gravenberch had been one of the standout performers in the match. The game was still goalless when the decisive incident occurred in the 62nd minute.
Gravenberch was shown a second yellow card after committing a foul on Jeremy Doku to stop a Manchester City counterattack. The decision reduced Liverpool to ten men and significantly changed the course of the match.
What Graham Barber Said
Barber agreed that the second yellow card was justified because Gravenberch had stopped a dangerous attacking move.
However, he questioned whether the midfielder deserved his first booking, which came after a challenge on Elliot Anderson shortly after half-time.
The former referee explained that officials must carefully consider their decisions when issuing yellow cards, particularly when an early booking could later lead to a sending-off.
According to Barber, the dismissal itself was difficult to dispute under the rules because Gravenberch had received two yellow cards. Nevertheless, he suggested that the controversy could have been avoided if the first caution had been handled differently.
He also raised an interesting question about what might have happened if the two fouls had occurred in the opposite order.
Manchester City Take Advantage
Following Gravenberch’s dismissal, Manchester City capitalised on their numerical advantage.
Erling Haaland opened the scoring in the 65th minute, before Doku doubled City’s lead just three minutes later. Rayan Cherki added a third goal in the 78th minute to seal a convincing 3–0 victory.
Liverpool’s hopes of getting something from the match suffered a major setback after the red card, with City’s attacking quality proving decisive.
The Final Verdict
Barber’s assessment highlights an important distinction: the second yellow card may have been justified, but the first booking remains the main source of controversy.
The incident has sparked debate among Liverpool supporters and football pundits, with questions being raised about the consistency of refereeing decisions in crucial Premier League matches.
For Liverpool, the dismissal proved costly, while Manchester City left Anfield with all three points.
What do you think, Liverpool fans? Was Ryan Gravenberch’s red card fair, or was the referee too harsh with the first yellow card?
