Cherki caps Manchester City win at Liverpool after Gravenberch dismissal

Manchester City maintained their winning start to the Premier League season by beating Liverpool at Anfield, with Erling Haaland, Jérémy Doku and Ryan Cherki scoring after Ryan Gravenberch was sent off. The Guardian reported that the result brought Liverpool’s first defeat under Andoni Iraola, after a contest that changed decisively when the home side were reduced to ten players.

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Neither team created a clear opening during a quiet first half, with attacks repeatedly breaking down before a telling final pass. Liverpool were without Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak, who had sustained injuries during the international break, according to the report. Iraola handed 21-year-old Lewis Koumas his first league start for the club in attack.

Koumas threatened shortly after the interval, but Gianluigi Donnarumma saved his effort. Liverpool then enjoyed a more assertive spell, with Gravenberch also testing the City goalkeeper and Alexis Mac Allister sending a volley wide. At the other end, Haaland missed an opportunity around the hour mark, lifting his finish beyond the far post after receiving a pass from Antoine Semenyo.

The decisive disciplinary moment came in the 62nd minute. Gravenberch, already booked early in the second half for fouling Elliot Anderson, challenged Doku as the City substitute looked to launch a counterattack. Referee Chris Kavanagh showed the midfielder a second yellow card. Doku had entered the match in the 56th minute and went on to play a central role in City’s response against the depleted hosts.

Haaland broke the deadlock by finishing from Doku’s deflected cross. Doku then scored himself with a curling shot to extend the visitors’ advantage. His contribution followed a period in which City had struggled to produce sustained danger, but Liverpool could no longer contain the visitors once the numerical balance had shifted.

Cherki added another goal at the end of a passing move involving Anderson and substitute Josko Gvardiol. Cherki let Anderson’s pass run through before collecting Gvardiol’s back-heel, moving away from Jeremie Frimpong and finishing. The sequence completed City’s late attacking surge and ensured their perfect league record remained intact, while Liverpool’s early promise after half-time ended in their first loss of Iraola’s tenure.