For more than an hour, Liverpool looked capable of making Manchester City’s visit to Anfield a difficult afternoon.

They pressed aggressively, played with intensity and repeatedly forced the visitors onto the back foot. Lewis Koumas, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister all went close during an encouraging start to the second half, while Milos Kerkez produced a crucial intervention to deny Iliman Ndiaye what looked a certain goal at the other end.

Then came the moment that changed everything.

Ryan Gravenberch was sent off in the 62nd minute, reducing Liverpool to 10 men just as they appeared to be building momentum. Within minutes, Erling Haaland had put City ahead. Jeremy Doku doubled their advantage, before Rayan Cherki completed a ruthless three-goal burst that left Liverpool with little chance of recovering.

The final score was emphatic. The match had not been so straightforward.

Liverpool had competed well for long periods, but their response to the dismissal was disastrous. City’s quality was always likely to make life difficult with a numerical advantage, and they needed little invitation to turn a close contest into a comprehensive victory.

Anfield was raucous from the outset, with the home crowd making their feelings towards City unmistakably clear following the recent verdict on the club’s financial-rule breaches. City have denied wrongdoing and are appealing the commission’s findings. The atmosphere provided a charged backdrop to an already significant Premier League fixture.

Liverpool responded with an aggressive opening.

Iraola’s side pressed high, closed down City’s passing options and prevented the visitors from establishing their usual rhythm. The home side dominated the opening 15 minutes, forcing City to work hard simply to get out of their own half.

There was one warning when Antoine Semenyo sent a dangerous ball across the face of goal, inviting a touch that never arrived. Otherwise, Liverpool’s defensive organisation and intensity restricted City’s opportunities to progress.

The opening spell gradually lost its edge as Liverpool dropped deeper after their initial burst of pressure. City enjoyed more possession, but neither side could establish a consistent attacking threat.

Liverpool came closest to breaking the deadlock through Victor Muñoz. His cross took a deflection and flashed narrowly wide, almost catching Gianluigi Donnarumma out, before the winger tested the goalkeeper again with an effort that was saved.

At the other end, Enzo Fernández tried his luck from around 25 yards, but Alisson Becker collected comfortably. Rayan Cherki also attempted to capitalise after Elliot Anderson dispossessed Florian Wirtz, although his ambitious shot failed to trouble the Liverpool goalkeeper.

Semenyo had another opportunity after taking on Ronald Araújo, but his effort flew over the crossbar.

It was an increasingly competitive contest, but one lacking the decisive moment required to separate the sides. Liverpool had done much of the early pressing; City had gradually found a foothold. Neither could find a breakthrough before half-time.

Liverpool began the second half with renewed intensity, immediately pushing City backwards and creating the sort of opportunities that had been missing before the interval.

Koumas and Gravenberch both saw well-struck efforts tipped away by Donnarumma, before Mac Allister sent a shot narrowly wide. The home side were moving the ball with greater purpose and appeared to have found another gear.

Kerkez then produced one of the afternoon’s most important defensive interventions.

City worked the ball towards Semenyo, whose cross reached the far post, where former Everton forward Ndiaye was poised to finish. Kerkez stepped in to deny him, preventing what looked a certain goal and preserving Liverpool’s position in the contest.

Liverpool continued to threaten. Wirtz fired wide after good work from Gravenberch, while Mac Allister came close again after meeting a free-kick delivery from the German.

The opportunities were not falling Liverpool’s way, but their intensity had returned. For a spell, they looked the more dangerous side.

City, however, remained capable of punishing even the smallest lapse. Semenyo threaded a superb pass through to Haaland, who found himself with a clear opportunity to put the visitors ahead but sent his effort wide.

It was a significant escape for Liverpool — and a warning of what might follow if they allowed City’s forwards to run into space.

The decisive moment arrived in the 62nd minute when Gravenberch was shown a second yellow card, leaving Liverpool to play the remainder of the match with 10 men.

It was a huge setback at precisely the wrong time. Liverpool had started the second half positively and were beginning to put City under pressure. The dismissal forced Iraola’s side to reorganise, disrupting their midfield and leaving them with a much harder task against opponents who thrive when space opens up.

City needed only a short time to exploit the advantage.

Two minutes after the red card, Haaland put the visitors ahead. Doku drove forward and saw his effort blocked, but the Norwegian striker reacted quickest to finish and give City the lead.

Liverpool’s resistance unravelled almost immediately.

In the 68th minute, Doku received a threaded pass, found a small pocket of space and curled a superb finish beyond Alisson. The goal doubled City’s advantage and left the 10-man hosts facing an uphill battle.

The third arrived in the 78th minute. Doku again found room down the right and combined with Cherki, whose interchange with Joško Gvardiol opened the way for the Frenchman to finish with composure after leaving Jeremie Frimpong behind.

Three goals in little more than 15 minutes transformed the afternoon.

Liverpool had been competitive for much of the game, but after Gravenberch’s dismissal they struggled to maintain their shape or contain City’s movement. The visitors were clinical, using their numerical advantage to stretch the defence and exploit the spaces that appeared.

The defeat will hurt Liverpool because of how well they had played before the dismissal.

Their opening press had unsettled City, and the second-half start suggested they could create enough chances to win the match. Koumas, Muñoz and Mac Allister all offered glimpses of a threat, while Kerkez’s intervention at the far post showed the importance of individual defensive contributions in a tight contest.

But the scoreline will inevitably raise questions about Liverpool’s ability to respond when a game turns against them.

Gravenberch’s sending-off was the pivotal incident, yet the manner of the collapse that followed will concern Iraola. Liverpool conceded three times in a short period, with City’s movement and composure exposing the difficulty of defending with 10 men against an attack of such quality.

The absence of Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo had already forced Liverpool to adapt their forward line, but the match was not decided by the lack of a recognised striker. Liverpool had created opportunities and remained in the contest until the dismissal.

The decisive difference was City’s ability to take advantage of the turning point.

For Iraola, there will be lessons to draw from the promising opening and the encouraging start to the second half. Liverpool’s pressing was effective, their defensive line initially held firm and they created chances against the league leaders.

Those positives will offer limited comfort after a 3-0 defeat at Anfield.

City leave with the points and their winning run intact. Liverpool are left to consider how a match that had been so finely balanced for more than an hour became a comprehensive defeat.

Gravenberch’s red card changed the game. City’s ruthless response made sure there was no way back.