GRAHAM BARBER DELIVERS VERDICT ON RYAN GRAVENBERCH’S CONTROVERSIAL RED CARD
Former Premier League referee Graham Barber has given his opinion on Ryan Gravenberch’s controversial dismissal during Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City at Anfield.
The Liverpool midfielder was sent off in the 62nd minute after receiving a second yellow card for bringing down Jeremy Doku and stopping a Manchester City counter-attack.
However, Barber believes referee Chris Kavanagh made the correct decision by showing Gravenberch a red card, although he admitted that the midfielder’s first booking was questionable.
Gravenberch had initially been booked for a challenge on Elliot Anderson, with some observers arguing that the decision was harsh. Barber acknowledged that the first yellow card could be considered a soft one but maintained that the second offence deserved a booking.
The former referee also stressed the importance of officials making sure that the first yellow card in a match is justified, as an arguably unnecessary booking can put a player at risk of being sent off later in the game.
He suggested that the situation would have been particularly interesting if the two incidents had happened in reverse order, as the challenge on Doku would have provided a clearer reason for a yellow card.
The dismissal proved costly for Liverpool, as Manchester City took full advantage of their numerical superiority. Erling Haaland opened the scoring shortly after Gravenberch’s departure, before Doku doubled the visitors’ lead. Rayan Cherki then added a third goal to complete a convincing victory.
Liverpool’s manager, Andoni Iraola, was among those unhappy with the first booking, believing the decision was too harsh.
Despite the controversy surrounding the incident, Barber stood by the referee’s final decision, arguing that Gravenberch’s second challenge justified the caution that resulted in his dismissal.
