Sadio Mane red card decision was wrong, says Gary Neville but Jamie Carragher backs referee Jon Moss after Man City goalkeeper Ederson leaves field on a stretcher following Liverpool forward's high challenge

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Sadio Mane was at the heart of a huge flash point during Liverpool's trip to Manchester City on Saturday.

The Reds star was shown a straight red card by referee Jon Moss after he caught City goalkeeper Ederson with a high boot just outside the penalty area.

Mane had appeared to be trying to win the ball but the impact left Ederson seriously injured and he was taken off on a stretcher.

Sadio Mane was sent off during Liverpool's game at Manchester City on Saturday afternoon

Senegalese Mane was shown a straight red card by referee Jon Moss at the Etihad Stadium

Mane caught Ederson with a high boot and there was concern for the goalkeeper's wellbeing

Ederson was given oxygen on the pitch and then carried off the field on a stretcher 

Sky Sports pundits Gary Neville and Thierry Henry think Moss was wrong to send Mane off.

Speaking during the first half, Neville said: 'It's one of those I don't think he needed to give a red card, it wasn't expected and I think he's got it wrong.

'How many times this season do you see a foot high, when a player goes with their head and the player gets there first and the foot goes into the chest.

'You very rarely see a red card for it, you might get a yellow.'

Henry added: 'I think I would have gone for it, it's an unfortunate 50/50 for the goalkeeper.

'The referee saw the player down and that played on his mind, sometimes it can play on your mind. The goalkeeper had to go for it, the player had to go for it and if that happened in midfield it wouldn't have been a red.

'Did he give a red straight away or did he wait and see what happened with the goalkeeper?'

Neville continued: 'Let's not be clouded by the fact he's going to be stretchered off, that's unfortunately part of the game, players clatter into each other.' 

Ederson was later taken to a nearby medical institute where he was checked for fractures

It was feared that Ederson may have broken bones in his cheek and possibly in his jaw too

Former Man United captain Gary Neville was adamant that Mane should not have been sent off

However, former centre back Jamie Carragher disagreed with Neville. 

The Liverpool legend said: 'It's a red card. I didn't initially think it was, I thought there was a coming together in a 50/50.

'People will say "he had his eyes on the ball" but that doesn't matter. Sadio Mane hasn't tried to do him but if you don't get there and your boot is that high you get a red card for excessive force.

'I took some convincing and I didn't think so on first viewing, but Jon Moss got it right. It was difficult for Mane, the ball was there and he had to go for it but he's suffered the consequences.'

Fellow ex-defender Kolo Toure, who was a guest in the Sky Sports studio, said: 'When you look at the action, most of the time really would give a yellow card. When you look Mane is really late, his foot was really high.' 

But ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes that Moss got the decision correct

Jurgen Klopp gave Mane a hug as he left the field to a chorus of boos from City supporters

Mane, who was clearly upset, was also consoled by Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah

While Carragher admitted to changing his mind after re-watching the incident, Neville maintained his original stance that Moss had got the call wrong.

'Ultimately, when you see it, I don't think there was a feeling anywhere around the stadium that there was going to be a red card,' Neville explained during the early minutes of the second half.

'The argument in endangering opponents can be taken into a lot of challenges and it would have been interesting to see if there would have been a red for Ederson if he had got there first.

'The reward for a goal is so much that he had to go for it. A yellow at most.' 

City boss Pep Guardiola revealed after the game that Ederson had suffered no broken bones in the incident, with the Brazilian able to return to the stands at the Etihad before the end of the game.