Ask the Ref: Was Gravenberch’s red card correct? Should officials from Manchester do City games?

Former Premier League referee Graham Scott analyzes key officiating decisions from the weekend, focusing on Ryan Gravenberch’s dismissal for Liverpool against Manchester City. Scott argues that Gravenberch's second yellow card was defensible for stopping a promising attack, meaning VAR correctly refrained from intervening despite the tackle being merely clumsy. He also defends referee Chris Kavanagh against perceived bias concerns regarding his Greater Manchester origins.

Scott highlights broader systemic issues, noting a significant geographic imbalance in referee promotions from south-east England compared to the north-west. He further addresses other weekend controversies, including Rodrigo Bentancur’s red card for Tottenham Hotspur against Manchester United and VAR's variable consistency regarding handball decisions involving Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest.