Red card and two goals: Liverpool collapse against Manchester City in six minutes

A turning point that turns the match on its head

Liverpool suffered a brutal blow against Manchester City, as their superiority in the run of play turned into a collapse inside six minutes. It started with Ryan Gravenberch's dismissal in the 62nd minute. The Sky Blues pounced on the extra man, Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku striking in the 65th and 68th minutes.

Gravenberch's red card changed everything. The Dutchman picked up a second yellow for tripping Doku as a Manchester City counter-attack began, and off he went, leaving his side to play out the final half-hour with ten men.

Timing made it worse. Liverpool had started to take a grip on proceedings and were threatening the Manchester City goal in more ways than one, but the numerical disadvantage handed the visitors space to attack and the match turned on its head.

Manchester City wasted no time. Haaland punished Liverpool in the 65th minute, giving his side the lead in a game that had been heading in a very different direction before the red card.

Three minutes later Doku struck again, driving in from the left flank and bending a superb shot beyond Alisson Becker in the 68th minute. Two up, and the hosts were in deep trouble.

Six minutes had become a nightmare. Two goals conceded after Gravenberch's dismissal, a sequence that showed just how badly the red card wrecked Liverpool's balance and left Manchester City closing in on victory at Anfield.

Victory would take Manchester City to 18 points from six matches, a perfect start maintained and sole possession of top spot in the Premier League. Liverpool, meanwhile, faced their first league defeat of the season after watching their calculations collapse in a matter of minutes.