The Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel has backed Ryan Gravenberch’s dismissal against Manchester City, with four of its five members supporting referee Chris Kavanagh’s decision.
The Liverpool midfielder received two yellow cards during the 3-0 defeat at Anfield on 11 October. The panel’s disagreement centred on his first booking, with one member concluding that his foul on Elliot Anderson did not warrant a caution.
The other four members supported both bookings. All five agreed that the second yellow, awarded for bringing down Jeremy Doku and stopping a promising attack, was correct.
The assessment leaves the panel at odds with Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola over the first incident. Iraola disputed that booking after the match and pointed to the dismissal as the turning point in the defeat.
Gravenberch was booked for the challenge on Anderson shortly after half-time, then dismissed in the 62nd minute following the foul on Doku.
Liverpool had been level at 0-0 before going down to ten men. Erling Haaland opened the scoring shortly afterwards, with Doku and Rayan Cherki adding further goals.
The panel also unanimously backed the decision by VAR not to intervene over the second caution. Under this season’s rules, VAR can review a second yellow that results in a dismissal, but cannot revisit the player’s first booking.
The KMI assessment is separate from the disciplinary process and does not alter Gravenberch’s suspension.
The midfielder has already served his one-match ban, missing Liverpool’s 2-1 victory at Brentford, and is available for Brighton’s visit to Anfield on Sunday, 25 October.
