Ryan Gravenberch's sending off in Liverpool's 3-0 home defeat to Manchester City was a "shocking decision" by referee Chris Kavanagh, according to Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.
Gravenberch, the standout player for an hour, was shown red after receiving a second yellow for a challenge on Jeremy Doku with the game tied at 0-0 in a flashpoint that turned the game, which had been finely poised, in City's favour.
Erling Haaland's opener came just two minutes and 37 seconds after Gravenberch was dismissed, and within six minutes Doku had doubled City's advantage before Rayan Cherki added a third with 12 minutes to play.
Gravenberch had picked up his first caution shortly after the restart for a foul on City midfielder Elliot Anderson, which Sky Sports pundit Carragher described as a "nothing challenge".
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"It's such a poor decision by the referee," Carragher said after the game. "The thing that frustrates me is that he wasn't going to give a yellow card. He only gives it when he thinks Anderson is hurt.
"That has nothing to do with whether a foul should or should not be a yellow card."
He added: "It's barely a foul. It's a shocking decision."
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"It feels really harsh when you think of the two challenges," Carragher said of Gravenberch's sending off on co-commentary.
"The first one was not a yellow card. It was so harsh for a nothing challenge on Anderson, and the referee was far too quick to get the yellow card out."
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Sky Sports' Gary Neville, also on co-commentary, said Gravenberch's second yellow was "very soft", before adding: "The only thing I would say is, knowing you're on a yellow and wrong side of Doku, does he need to make the challenge?
"He's given the referee a dilemma."
'Liverpool looked like they had four sent off'
Manchester City had an xG of 0.16 before Gravenberch's sending off but dominated once Liverpool were down to 10 men.
Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane felt Gravenberch's dissmissal turned the match in City's favour but criticised Liverpool's response to the red card.
"I don't see how he can get a yellow card for that," Keane said of Gravenberch's first booking. "The whole game then changes.
"Liverpool struggled with the physicality. There were spaces everywhere. Liverpool looked like they had four men sent off. City were controlling it. For the first hour it was a tight game."
Daniel Sturridge was in full agreement and said the decision to award Gravenberch's first yellow card was "a joke".
"The game changed on the red card. We have to be truthful about that," Sturridge said on Sky Sports. "City delivered after the red card changed the game. Prior to that, it was very even."
Sky Sports' Micah Richards was equally puzzled about the first booking the Liverpool midfielder received. "That is soft. How is that a yellow card? I don't understand," said Richards.