Liverpool Round-Up, Sunday 11th October: Ten-Man Reds Thrashed 3-0 by Man City at Anfield as Gravenberch Red Card Sparks Fury
It was a miserable afternoon at Anfield as Liverpool were beaten 3-0 by Manchester City, with goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki sealing a comfortable win for the visitors on their first match since being found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules (Sky Sports) (Sky Sports) (Liverpool.com) (Sky Sports) (Sky Sports) (BBC Sport). Haaland fired City into the lead before Doku doubled it with what Sky Sports described as "a gem" curling into the top corner, and Cherki added a late third that the Guardian called a "cracker" (Sky Sports) (Sky Sports) (The Guardian).
The game turned when Ryan Gravenberch was sent off for a second yellow card in the second half, with Sky Sports' description of the decision as "soft...very soft" reflecting the widespread anger among pundits and fans (Sky Sports) (Liverpool Echo). Jamie Carragher was particularly scathing, branding it a "shocking decision" by referee Chris Kavanagh and insisting there was "barely a foul" (Liverpool.com) (Sky Sports). This Is Anfield reported fans mockingly labelling the official "Manchester's Chris Kavanagh" amid claims the dismissal was a turning point (This Is Anfield) (This Is Anfield). Andoni Iraola was equally unimpressed, saying he "didn't like the refereeing" and insisting it was "never a yellow card", while also pointing to a moment involving Elliot Anderson in his post-match comments (This Is Anfield) (Liverpool Echo) (BBC Sport) (Liverpool.com).
The build-up and atmosphere were dominated by Manchester City's guilty verdict over 114 (reported elsewhere as 115) financial charges, with Liverpool supporters making their feelings heard throughout with pointed chants, which Liverpool.com described as a "brutal message" to the City players (Liverpool.com) (This Is Anfield) (Liverpool Echo) (Liverpool Echo). Gary Neville reportedly issued a warning to City over the chants and gave what Liverpool.com called a "damaging" verdict on the win given the ongoing controversy (Liverpool Echo) (Liverpool.com). City boss Enzo Maresca responded to the "noise," insisting his players "deal with" it and declaring the club "proud" after the win, while also saying City "make their own noise" through performances (BBC Sport) (Liverpool.com) (This Is Anfield) (The Guardian). Captain Virgil van Dijk called the defeat "very difficult" and said he would address the City charges fully once the process is complete (LiverpoolFC.com) (Liverpool.com).
On the performance itself, Liverpool.com's player ratings pointed to a tough afternoon for Bradish-standard performers Bradola and Florian Wirtz, who were among the lower-rated players alongside others in a difficult display, with the Liverpool Echo also marking the £239m pair down to 5/10 (Liverpool.com) (Liverpool Echo) (This Is Anfield). The BBC's ratings picked out Cherki as the standout performer and questioned who else needed to step up for Liverpool (BBC Sport). Carragher also took aim at Alexis Mac Allister for an incident involving Cherki, and separately criticised Jeremie Frimpong, though Roy Keane offered a more sympathetic view of the full-back (Liverpool Echo) (Liverpool.com). Keane additionally accused some Liverpool players of taking a "breather" at a crucial moment in the game (Liverpool Echo). There was also frustration on the pitch, with Milos Kerkez reacting angrily after Wirtz failed to pass at a key moment, summing up the mood among the players (Liverpool.com). Ex-Red Jermaine Pennant went further, comparing Wirtz's start to that of Darwin Nunez, while adding he hoped to be proven wrong (Liverpool.com).
Away from the action, Iraola gave a blunt injury update, confirming Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai were all missing for the defeat, and later admitted it is unlikely any of them will be back in time for Liverpool's midweek fixture (Liverpool.com) (This Is Anfield). He also sent a message to supporters urging patience amid the uncertainty surrounding the club, saying "we have to wait" (Liverpool Echo). The result means Iraola is still waiting for a first Premier League win at Anfield, with the BBC questioning what has happened to the stadium's traditional fear factor (BBC Sport). The Liverpool Echo's match verdict suggested the atmosphere and chants ultimately mattered less than another damaging home defeat (Liverpool Echo), while This Is Anfield's talking points piece noted Barcola and Wirtz fell short as City took control (This Is Anfield). Even Anfield's PA system seemingly had the last word, with a pointed song choice at full time summing up the frustration of the day (Liverpool.com).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.