Manchester City beat ten-man Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield, scoring three times in 16 minutes after Ryan Gravenberch was sent off for a second yellow card. Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki struck in City’s first match since the Premier League’s guilty verdict against the club.
Liverpool: For an hour, Anfield had the afternoon it wanted. Liverpool, without Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo through injury, held Manchester City goalless and went into the break level at 0-0. Then one refereeing decision turned a contest into a procession.
The red card that changed the match
Gravenberch was shown a second yellow card in the 62nd minute for a foul on Doku, and Liverpool were reduced to ten. Andoni Iraola was furious. The Liverpool manager criticised referee Chris Kavanagh, argued that the first booking against Gravenberch should never have been given, and said the match had been two different games, one before the red card and one after it.
Three goals in 16 minutes
City needed only three minutes to exploit the extra man. Haaland broke the deadlock shortly after the dismissal, and Doku curled a shot into the top corner within minutes of that. Cherki completed the scoring late on, working a one-two with Josko Gvardiol before slotting under Alisson. All three goals arrived inside a 16-minute spell.
It was a fitting finish for a player who had already shaped City’s season. Cherki was the creator in Enzo Maresca’s opening-day win over Bournemouth, and at Anfield he added a goal of his own.
A result with a backdrop
The match was City’s first since a Premier League independent commission found the club guilty of 114 of 115 charges of breaching financial rules, a verdict reported on 25 September. No sanction has been announced. City deny wrongdoing and have appealed, so the question of any punishment remains open.
On the pitch, City keep their unbeaten start under Maresca and top the table. For Iraola it was the first defeat of his Liverpool tenure, and it came with a depleted squad and ten men for the last half hour.
Result: Liverpool 0-3 Manchester City, Premier League, Anfield, Sunday 11 October 2026. Scorers: Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, Rayan Cherki (all second half). Sent off: Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool, 62nd minute, second yellow card). Half-time: 0-0.
