Liverpool suffered a 3-0 defeat by Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.
The match was goalless after 62 minutes when Gravenberch received his second yellow card. City took advantage of their numerical superiority, with Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki scoring in the second half.
Iraola felt Liverpool had been the better side before the dismissal and believed the referee’s decision had a major impact on the contest.
“I think we played two different games – one until the red card and one from the red card until the end,” he said.
“I think we were the better team until the red card in the first 62 minutes. And they were better than us, obviously, after the red card and they scored the goals.”
Despite the disappointing result, Iraola praised his players for their effort and acknowledged the support they received from the Anfield crowd.
“I think the players deserve credit today because I think they’ve given everything,” he said. “I think also the supporters have been fantastic today – fantastic before, during, after.”
Iraola was particularly unhappy with Gravenberch’s first yellow card, arguing that the challenge did not warrant a booking.
“I think the first foul of Ryan is never a yellow card – never,” he said.
The manager also questioned the referee’s decision to book the midfielder after allowing play to continue following the initial contact.
Iraola suggested the decision placed the officials in a difficult position and left Liverpool vulnerable to further disciplinary action.
The Liverpool manager also highlighted the importance of the home crowd, believing the atmosphere helped his side compete with City during the opening hour.
“For me, today we had a big advantage with Anfield, with the supporters. A massive advantage,” Iraola said.
He added that the players had matched the supporters’ energy by competing strongly in challenges and showing intensity before Gravenberch’s dismissal changed the game.
Iraola also provided an update on Dominik Szoboszlai, who returned from international duty with muscle tightness and an overload issue.
Liverpool had attempted to manage the midfielder’s workload in training, but the manager admitted the demanding schedule could make recovery difficult.
“Now we play four games in 10 days, so it’s going to be difficult because we fly to Austria in two days,” he said.
Liverpool’s next assignment is an away Champions League league-phase match against LASK in Linz on Wednesday, leaving little time to recover from the defeat at Anfield.
