Liverpool fans divided over what they saw after Ryan Gravenberch’s Man City red card

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Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City sparked a familiar argument among supporters: how much of the defeat could be attributed to the red card, and how much blame should be apportioned to the Reds for their dismal response to it?Ryan Gravenberch was sent off in the 62nd minute while the game still goalless and full of life. Jeremy Doku added a second after another three minutes, with Rayan Cherki completing the scoring 10 minutes later.Some Liverpool fans on TalkingPoints felt Gravenberch’s dismissal, which was incredibly soft by any stretch, changed everything.

They believed their side had been competing well enough before going down to ten men and were frustrated that the referee’s decision became such a decisive factor.Others seemed to have little patience for that explanation, and though they accepted that the red card was an obvious turning point and made the Reds’ life much harder, they questioned Liverpool’s reaction to losing Gravenberch, and argued that those left on the pitch should have been much better equipped to repel City.Missed chances add to Liverpool frustrationNot only did some fans feel that Liverpool had collapsed far too easily after going down to 10 men, they also rued the fact that before it happened, the Reds had had the better of the chances before the hour mark.Though he was not overly tested, Donnarumma made a couple of important saves from Lewis Koumas and Gravenberch, while Liverpool also threatened City by getting into dangerous areas more than once. Liverpool had chances to make the game more difficult for City but failed to take them, while Enzo Maresca’s team punished them when the opportunities came, extra man or not.The red card was a major turning point, but it did not stop supporters asking why Liverpool had been unable to make more of their earlier openings, or create better chances from good positions.Iraola’s decisions come under scrutinyAndoni Iraola also came in for criticism, with some fans frustratedly questioning his tactics, substitutions and even his overall suitability for the role.One supporter compared him with Unai Emery during his time at Arsenal, raising doubts about whether a manager who performs well at a smaller club can find the answers against the same opposition while managing a bigger side.

With uncertainty over when Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo will be back available, Iraola will have to lean on them again amid a punishing fixture schedule.A defeat that leaves questions unansweredThe financial charges involving Man City also inevitably surfaced in the comments, with some supporters expressing wider frustration with the context in which the game was played. One defeat, particularly one shaped by a red card, cannot settle the bigger questions about tactics or squad depth, but the frustration in the reaction suggests that for some supporters, the performance gave them more to worry about than the final score alone.Fans won’t have to wait long to see how Liverpool cope 11 against 11, with Wednesday’s Champions League trip to LASK and a crucial showdown with Brentford on Saturday hopefully providing some clearer answers.