Andoni Iraola Promises to Keep Vendetta for Entire Season After Man City Loss

Andoni Iraola fumed over Ryan Gravenberch’s costly red card following Liverpool’s 3–0 Premier League defeat to Manchester City, insisting referee Chris Kavanagh gave out several cheap yellow cards. The bitter Basque boss promised to make sure that this low bar was maintained throughout the remainder of the season.

Sunday’s encounter at Anfield was finely-poised at the hour mark as the match remained goalless, but when Gravenberch was shown a second yellow card for a cynical foul on Jérémy Doku, the game completely swung in City’s favor.

Liverpool conceded three goals in the space of 13 minutes as they crumbled with a numerical disadvantage, but Iraola believes Gravenberch’s first booking of the match was extremely harsh.

“I think the first foul of Ryan is never a yellow card, never,” said the Spaniard. “These kinds of games, just a stomp on the big toe, or something minor. He doesn’t even call the foul straight away. He lets bit go, I think Elliot Anderson does a couple of steps. He decides to go down. I don’t know why after he shows the yellow card, because it’s not a situation where it leaves advantage.

“We had nine players behind the ball. It’s like they had a lot of, you know, it was in the middle of the pitch, no danger there. And then you put, as a referee, yourself in trouble, and also you put us in trouble.”

Iraola’s frustrations weren’t limited to that one decision, either. He added: “Also, at the beginning of the game, yellow card of Ronald [Araújo], I know he complains, he does this. But in these kinds of games, if you are going to start after a handball of [Marc] Guéhi, the punishment is for Ronald complaining.

“You put it straight away at the beginning of the game, the right back with a yellow card. I think you are in the textbooks, yes, perfect. He complains, you can show a yellow card, but then I will be very careful all the season. Every time someone complains, it has to be a yellow card.”

Did Gravenberch Deserve to Be Sent Off vs. Man City?

Liverpool players complain — Liverpool players were vexed by the decision. | Alex Pantling/Getty Images

Gravenberch can have few complaints about his second booking at Anfield. After hauling down the turbo-charged Doku in the 62nd minute as the winger raced free toward the Liverpool half, it was a textbook yellow card.

Regardless of whether the first yellow was merited, Gravenberch’s decision to foul Doku remains inexcusable.

However, the Dutchman certainly has a right to feel aggrieved about the first caution.

Gravenberch was booked for standing on the toe of Anderson in the 47th minute in the center of the field, despite the fact that contact was incredibly minimal and he actually attempted to pull out of the challenge.

Anderson took several steps before falling to the turf, where he proceeded to clutch his knee, and it was nothing more than an innocuous foul one witnesses dozens of times a match.

When speaking with Sky Sports, former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher disagreed with Kavanagh’s decision to book Gravenberch for his first offense.

“I think it’s really harsh,” said Gallagher. “I think the problem for Chris, in his view, I think he thinks that he clips his knee, but he doesn’t. If you look again, he clips his foot.

“I think from Chris’s position, he thinks he’s clipped his knee, so he thinks it’s a high boot and a yellow card. But on reflection, you see the replay, he catches the top of boot. So he’s very unlucky.”

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