Andoni Iraola’s horrible resolution as 10-men Liverpool battered at house by Man City

Liverpool were blown away by Manchester City – with Enzo Maresca side’s first appearance since their guilty verdict resulting in a 3-0 win

Anfield had fallen silent, what had started as a chorus of furious boos was extinguished in six chaotic minutes. And now, all that could be heard was the cheers of Manchester City fans.

It was the first time since City’s guilty verdict that Enzo Maresca’s side had been in action – and they were met with ferocious hostility. However, after Ryan Gravenberch’s red card City ran riot to an increasingly quiet Anfield.

And, by the time the clash ticked over into added time, all that could be heard was the away chanting: “You’re going down with the City.” The 3-0 scoreline is slightly harsh on the Reds, who had made a football match of the occasion for the opening 67 minutes.

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Liverpool, however, had one problem. And his name is Florian Wirtz.

It was the Reds’ best performance of the season so far – one that looked like the great Liverpool teams of old. Iraola’s side were fast to get forwards, pressing high and, for large periods of the game, the better team.

And yet every time the ball fell to Wirtz’s feet he slowed the game down or made the wrong decision. There was a moment in the second half when Bradley Barcola had pulled Matheus Nunes out-wide, allowing room for an onrushing Milos Kerkez, and Wirtz shot.

It was just one of a number of moments – each free-kick he stood over was tame, there were sloppy passes across the pitch and, most damning of all, with the Reds chasing the game he was hooked.

It all begs the question did he need to start? Liverpool’s game plan was to hound the ball when City had it in defence – they didn’t really need their twinkle-toed No.7.

It was, perhaps, even more embarrassing for Wirtz that his opposite number Rayan Cherki – the man he is so often compared with – find the back of the net with a magical run that left Jeremie Frimpong on the floor.

It wasn’t all bad news for Iraola, Lewis Koumas put himself about up top – and didn’t really look out of place. While Gravenberch was arguably the best player on the pitch until he was handed his marching orders.

Liverpool might feel aggrieved with the two soft yellows, but it was silly from the Dutchman to make that kind of challenge while he was on a yellow and City were on the break.

Erling Haaland fired City ahead three minutes later before Jeremy Doku netted what is quickly becoming his trademark as he moved inside and whipped the ball into the far corner.

Doku, who has been missing for the majority of the season, changed the game. The Belgian winger was creating all sorts of problems, even when it was 11 vs 11, calming slipping in Haaland who failed to hit the target.

Cherki scored the third as Liverpool’s defence was opened up way to easily before he sat Frimpong on the turf and rolled the ball past Alisson.

Liverpool can argue all they want about the red card, but the reality is that they fell apart when reduced to 10 men. It marks their first defeat of the season, and their collapse sees them slump to ninth in the table.