I’m still frustrated about Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, and I suspect plenty of other Liverpool supporters are feeling exactly the same.
Not just because we lost at Anfield, either.
There were warning signs before Ryan Gravenberch was sent off, there were problems going forward, and once Liverpool went down to ten men, the game quickly got away from us.
But that red card will understandably dominate the discussion.
And for me, there are five big talking points Liverpool need to take from this defeat.
1. The Gravenberch red card changed everything
Liverpool had kept Manchester City at bay for an hour, with the match still goalless and the contest finely balanced.
Then referee Chris Kavanagh showed Gravenberch a second yellow card for his challenge on Jérémy Doku in the 62nd minute.
I thought the decision was incredibly harsh.
Andoni Iraola was clearly unhappy afterwards, arguing that Gravenberch’s first booking should never have been a yellow card. Jamie Carragher also criticised the decision, describing the sending-off as shocking.
There is no escaping the fact that playing against City with ten men was always going to be a huge challenge.
But the timing made it even worse.
Liverpool conceded just minutes after the dismissal, with Erling Haaland putting City ahead before Doku and Rayan Cherki added further goals.
I’m not suggesting Liverpool would definitely have won with eleven players. City are an excellent side, and they still had to be dealt with.
But we were in the game.
The sending-off changed its entire complexion, and I think Kavanagh’s decisions deserve serious scrutiny.
2. Are referees getting the big decisions right against Liverpool?
This is becoming an increasingly frustrating subject for Liverpool supporters.
When you play Manchester City, the margins are often tiny. One decision, one mistake or one moment of brilliance can determine the result.
That is precisely why consistency matters so much.
Liverpool fans will look at Gravenberch’s dismissal and ask why a match that was so finely balanced had to be decided by a second yellow card that many people considered soft.
Iraola certainly wasn’t happy, and neither were plenty of supporters watching at Anfield.
It feels as though Manchester City keep coming out on the right side of the big moments against Liverpool.
That doesn’t prove officials are deliberately favouring City, and I wouldn’t claim that without evidence. But supporters are entitled to question decisions that have such a major impact on matches.
The first booking is particularly important here. If Gravenberch shouldn’t have been cautioned in the first place, Liverpool were left paying a huge price for that earlier decision.
The Premier League and its officials need to make sure these moments are judged consistently.
Because when a red card changes a match so dramatically, supporters deserve clear explanations of why it was given.
3. Liverpool’s attack still isn’t clicking
The sending-off explains much of what happened in the second half, but it shouldn’t distract us from the problems Liverpool had before it.
We needed more going forward.
Liverpool have invested heavily in their attacking options, yet the team still looks short of cohesion at times. The movement isn’t always connecting, the final pass can be missing, and we haven’t consistently looked dangerous enough against the strongest opponents.
The absence of Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak through injuries certainly didn’t help. Those are important players, and losing them at the same time leaves Iraola with fewer options.
But the bigger challenge is finding a way to make the attack function as a unit.
Florian Wirtz needs the right spaces to influence games. The forwards need better service, and Liverpool need to turn possession into genuine chances rather than expecting an individual moment to rescue them.
I still believe there is plenty of quality in this squad.
But quality on paper means very little if the team can’t make it work on the pitch.
Iraola has work to do.
4. Manchester City keep benefiting from the big decisions – and Liverpool fans have had enough
This is probably the point that will divide supporters, but I know how I feel about it.
Watching City leave Anfield with a 3-0 victory was bad enough. Watching Gravenberch sent off in a game that was still goalless made it even more frustrating.
City were clinical after the dismissal, and credit must go to them for taking their chances. Haaland, Doku and Cherki all produced decisive moments.
But that doesn’t mean Liverpool supporters have to stay quiet about the refereeing.
For me, the issue is not that every decision must go Liverpool’s way. It is that the same standard needs to apply to both teams, especially in matches of this importance.
I would like to see more transparency around decisions like this. Explain why the first yellow was given. Explain why the second challenge warranted another booking. Let supporters understand the reasoning.
The officials may believe they got it right, but that doesn’t mean the decision should escape scrutiny.
Liverpool lost 3-0, and City deserved credit for how they finished the match. Both things can be true.
5. The fixture list is about to test Liverpool properly
There is no time for Liverpool to sit around feeling sorry for themselves.
The defeat to City is followed by a demanding run of matches, beginning with Brentford away on October 17, then Villarreal in the Champions League on October 20 and Brighton at Anfield on October 25. Chelsea also await in the Carabao Cup before Liverpool face Arsenal on November 1.
That is a serious stretch of football.
And it comes at a time when injuries are already testing the squad.
Iraola needs to manage minutes carefully, get key players back fit and make sure the City defeat doesn’t turn into a longer slump.
Liverpool also need to learn from what happened at Anfield. They cannot control every refereeing decision, but they can improve their attacking patterns, avoid unnecessary bookings and give themselves the best possible chance of staying in matches.
The next few weeks will tell us a lot about the character of this team.
A strong response against Brentford would be a good start. The Champions League game then gives Liverpool another chance to build momentum before Brighton arrive.
There is still plenty of football to play, but Liverpool need to show they can cope when things go against them.
My verdict: Liverpool need a response, not excuses
I’m angry about the red card, and I think the officials should be questioned about it.
But I don’t want the entire conversation about this defeat to become a discussion about Chris Kavanagh.
Liverpool had problems before the dismissal. The attack needs to improve, the injury situation needs managing, and Iraola must find a way to get more consistency from his team.
City took advantage of the situation and punished Liverpool ruthlessly. That’s what top sides do.
Now Liverpool need to show they can respond.
Five talking points, one clear message: the defeat was painful, but what Liverpool do next matters even more.
The refereeing debate will continue, and supporters have every right to question the decisions.
But the best way for Liverpool to answer the criticism is on the pitch.
The fixture list won’t wait for us.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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