Eiraola: Proud of the players, and we didn't get what we deserved for our performance

Andoni Iraola, Liverpool's manager, stated that the match against Manchester City was divided into two different phases, pointing out that Rayan Gravenberch's red card clearly affected the course of the game, after his team had delivered a strong performance during the first 60 minutes.

Andoni Iraola spoke to BBC after the 3-0 loss: "I think we played two different matches; the first one until the red card, and the second one after it. For 60 minutes, the players were very good, but after the sending off, Manchester City were better than us."

Liverpool's manager spoke about Rayan Gravenberch's red card, expressing his discontent with the player's first yellow card. He said: "The first yellow card was for a kick on the toe, and there was nothing to warrant it; it was just a regular foul."

Eraola stated that the red card came at a time when Liverpool were starting to apply more pressure and gain the upper hand, explaining: "That was the moment we began to push more, and the momentum was shifting in our favor, and the atmosphere in the stadium was absolutely fantastic."

The coach pointed out that his team managed to limit the threat of Manchester City during the first half, before improving offensively after the break, saying: "We didn't allow them much in the first half, and we did very well. In the second half, we started to turn our performance into real chances."

Despite the negative result, Iraola praised his players' efforts, stating that the match represents an opportunity to learn and gain experience. He said: "You learn a lot from matches like this. I am very proud of my players; they gave everything they had and put in a great effort."

He continued: "It's a loss, and we didn't get anything for the performance we delivered, but I was very impressed with what I saw from the team."

Regarding the possibility of injured players returning before Liverpool's upcoming match in the UEFA Champions League, Iraola expressed his reservations due to the tight timeframe, saying: "It will be difficult because we only have two days. You can't know what will happen."