AFTER GOING through the whole of 2011 without losing on their own ground, Manchester City have now been beaten twice in the space of four days and are beginning to look conspicuously thin around the edges. Steven Gerrard’s 13th-minute penalty puts Liverpool in a position of strength going into the second leg of this League Cup semi-final when it will need a significant improvement from the Premier League leaders if they are to prevent Kenny Dalglish’s team from confirming a trip to Wembley.
Rarely have City looked so devoid of imagination this season. Liverpool took an early lead, threatened more goals and then eventually settled for a backs-to-the-wall operation during a second half in which the home side’s possession was not accompanied by the wit or gumption to break down a team displaying great defensive qualities of industry and organisation.
The two sides renew acquaintances at Anfield in a fortnight’s time and Liverpool, the seven-time winners, should be greatly encouraged about the way they matched and, at times, outdid a side that have managed 56 league goals compared to their own tally of 24.
City looked weary at times. They had used up a lot of energy and emotion in Sunday’s FA Cup defeat to Manchester United and they were missing their captain, Vincent Kompany, as well as two of Roberto Mancini’s other mandatory first-team picks, David Silva and Yaya Toure. The Etihad has been a formidable stadium for opposition teams on Mancini’s watch but for long spells they looked laboured and a good notch or two below what is usually seen of them on their own ground.
As for Mario Balotelli, he lasted only 39 minutes before being withdrawn. Shortly before, he had allowed a simple pass to run over his boot and go out for a throw-in. The striker, sent off in the league at Liverpool in November, took exception to one challenge from Charlie Adam and had to be restrained from taking the argument further.
It was difficult to be clear whether he was still struggling with the ankle injury that had kept him out for the previous two games, but there was something very deliberate about the way he and Mancini ignored each other on the touchline.
Balotelli went straight down the tunnel and it added to the sense of a night that was not going to plan.
Liverpool, in contrast, had began the game as if affronted by the memories of their 3-0 league defeat here last week. They were quick to the ball, strong in the challenge and, even before Gerrard’s penalty, there were three separate moments when it was only Joe Hart’s goalkeeping that had kept them out.
The third of those saves, diving full length to his left to turn away a deflected Stewart Downing volley, was a truly exceptional piece of goalkeeping. Yet it was rare to see City so open and it was in this flurry of attacking that Liverpool’s pressure eventually led to Gerrard driving his spot kick emphatically into the bottom corner.
Perhaps in hindsight Mancini might regret not moving Micah Richards across from the right side of defence to partner Joleon Lescott in the centre and bring in Pablo Zabaleta at full back. Instead, Stefan Savic was given the responsibility to stand in for the suspended Vincent Kompany and it was a gamble that backfired.
Savic’s challenge on Daniel Agger was raw and mistimed, catching him just above the knee, and it was not his only mistake of a difficult evening. One misplaced pass inside his own penalty area led to voluble dissent from the crowd and, without Kompany, there was a vulnerability that does not normally exist.
Liverpool had the advantage of having two days’ extra rest and in the opening 45 minutes they seemed to be getting to every loose ball first. Their momentum was not disrupted too badly by Jay Spearing leaving the pitch with a hamstring injury and it was not until the final minute of the first half, when James Milner turned Richards’s low cutback over the crossbar, that Pepe Reina’s goal was threatened seriously.
Liverpool were obdurate opponents. Their strength this season has been in defence and they were more guarded after the interval. A misplaced backpass from Martin Kelly almost had costly repercussions, only for Reina to do enough to put off Sergio Aguero. Reina then saved a leaping header from Richards inside the six-yard area and, with Mancini switching to a three-man defence, the pressure on the visitors’ goal was increasing.
Yet the late onslaught that might have been expected never materialised until stoppage-time. Liverpool held out fairly comfortably and are now the marginal favourites to reach the final.
GuardianService
MANCHESTER CITY:Hart, Richards, Lescott, Savic, Clichy, Milner, Barry, De Jong (Kolarov 72), Johnson (Dzeko 66), Aguero, Balotelli (Nasri 39). Subs not used: Pantilimon, Zabaleta, Hargreaves, Onuoha. Booked: Nasri.
LIVERPOOL: Reina, Kelly, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson, Downing (Jose Enrique 59), Spearing (Adam 23), Henderson, Bellamy (Carragher 79), Gerrard, Carroll. Subs not used: Doni, Coates, Kuyt, Shelvey. Booked: Carragher.
Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire).
