Yossi scores to make it 2-2
Liverpool had 2 further additions to the treatment table in the first 20 minutes of this game – Agger stretchered off, before Babel hobbled off to upset Liverpool’s game plan.
The reds dominated the first half but failed to provide significant trouble to Shay Given apart from a 5th minute header from Martin Skrtel that was acrobatically tipped wide of the post.
Steven Gerrard returning for his first full game for a number of weeks was key to Liverpool’s first half domination – Man City had to wait till the 35th minute for their first attempt on the Liverpool goal.
Liverpool got the goal they had deserved for their efforts early in to the second half when Skrtel scored his first goal for the reds. A free kick from Gerrard came short in to the box and Skrtel edged in front of Adebayor to poke home the ball.
However, the reds are clearly lacking confidence these days and after dominating the game, the goal seemed to signify an attempt to try and cling on and Man City were given far too much space and opportunity. Gerrard had an anonymous second half which didn’t help the reds cause.
Eventually the goal came for City – ironically this time Adebayor getting the better of Skrtel, who failed to attack the ball from a corner – giving Adebayor a free header.
Within minutes it had got much worse when Stephen Ireland fired City ahead with 14 minutes left.
Immediately from kick off the reds were level again. An N’gog shot deflected across goal and Yossi Benayoun was on hand to put the ball back in to the net.
Another grandstand finish was set up but the game ended up as a draw – probably a fair reflection of the game overall.
Post Match Comments
Rafael Benitez:
“When we have all our players coming back I am confident we will start winning games.”If we can improve and play at our level, we will finish in the top four.”
“We had a shocking day with injuries.
“Glen was not happy with his calf and he had been limping a bit in training.
“Then we lose Agger and Babel. We had one problem after another. We had to use players who have not been training with the squad, but we still managed to score first.
“We felt we could hang on, then they scored twice and we had to show great character to hit back at them to get the equaliser.
“We then had a couple of great chances at the end and could have won the game.
“You cannot be happy with a home draw, but to lose three players is very difficult.
“And of course we had three players on the bench who have been for treatment in Belgrade and had not been training with the team.
“It is not easy to manage, but the reaction of the players was fantastic. You cannot ask for more from players in such a position.”
Stats
Possession: 49%
Shots: 10 (4 on target) [Man City – 9 (3 on target)]
Corners: 7 [City – 3]
Teams
Liverpool: Reina, Skrtel, Insua, Carragher, Agger (Kyrgiakos 11), Babel (Benayoun 18, Aurelio 85), Leiva, Mascherano, Gerrard, Kuyt, Ngog
Unused subs: Cavalieri, Aquilani, Riera, El Zhar
Goals: Skrtel 50, Benayoun 77
Booked: Carragher, Leiva
Man City: Given, Bridge, Zabaleta, Lescott, Toure (Onuoha 46), Ireland, Wright-Phillips, Barry (Tevez 61), De Jong, Adebayor, Bellamy
Unused subs: Taylor, Kompany, Johnson, Weiss, Santa Cruz
Goals: Adebayor 69, Ireland 76
Ref: Phil Dowd
Att: 44,164
Our Man of the Match
Outshining the rest of the side, our man of the match goes to Javier Mascherano
Kev,
I couldn’t have put it better myself, well said mate
Lucas is a great player! lucas e bæst
I can see many parrallels this season with Rafa’s first in 2004-05. That’s not to say I beleive we’ll win the champions league, I’m talking more about the number of injuries to key players and also the run of luck we seem to be having. OK, we shouldn’t bemoan bad luck, but let’s not forget that without an unbeleivable slice of good luck last season due to a shocking refeering decision, Utd would never have won their home league match with Spurs, the game that effectively won them the title, so it does matter. Over the course of the season people say that things even out? Do they?
In 2004-05 people said we weren’t even the best team on merseyside because we came 5th. That same team with a few canny additions the following season gained more points in the league than any Liverpool side since 1987-88, despite having the clubs poorest ever start to a league campaign, so were we really as bad as the media made out? Were Everton really a better side than us in 2004-05? The answer is no. The same thing is happening now. We’re in a dogfight for 4th spot largely becuase we haven’t been able to field our strongest 11 often enough. It’s all well and good people saying that the squad should be strong enough to cope but really, if any side in the country were missing up to 8 of its regulars it would struggle. Besides if we had a squad strong enough to cope with the regular losses of Torres, Agger, Gerrard, Aquilani, Skrtel, Aurelio and Masch, to name a few players whom have all been injured this year, many at the same time, we’d been cleaning up at home and abroad and quite clearly we’re not.
This is only my opinion, but I beleive we are as good as anyone in the country when our best team is fit and out on the field. At the very least we are better than those other clubs that have their eye on 4th spot such as Spurs, Villa, City and Everton. I think once we put a run of games together, it won’t be 4th spot we’re talking about, it may even be 3rd or even 2nd.
rafa copy try cappelos tricks as he has done with the england team no favourites. team selection based on performance. getting tired of playing players who dont perform. bring on the young guys ayala,kelly when he is fit,pacheo
BTW: Lucas has won the 3rd most tackles in the league this season. He is also 3rd best passer after Essien and Masch. Finally, Lucas Leiva has “created” 16 chances for us. This puts him 5th among the Liverpool players. (Telegraph.co.uk)
I am not a fan of Lucas but I deffo do not condone unfair criticism.
YNWA and good night.
Another poor performance by a manager who will not trust young players and put them into action.
Like Insua, Ngog, Leiva, Babel?
Reina – 27 years old, Skrtel – 24, Agger – 24, Insua – 20, Masch – 25, Lucas – 22, Babel – 22 and Ngog – 20 years old. That leaves out our Captain, Vice Captain and the Captain next in line. HOW FRIGGIN` YOUNG DO YOU WANT THEM?!
Do you really think that Kelly, Ayala or Eccelstone would have done better, CulCul? Really? Or maybe Thomas Ince and John Flanagan are young enough for you?
You should have a chat with Wenger, mate.
culcul talking nonsense again?
Dont know which game you were watching Ferryman but I agree with MA. Lucas has poor poor positional sense and he always passes backwards, and when he does pass forward, its to a player who cant do anything with the ball but pass back. Lucas as MOM maybe says what a poor performance the rest had. Seriously. That guy is awful. Watch what he does (position wise) when our player has the ball. He is like a spectator more than a player. Very very poor. Not up to mark. Its a pity we had 2 injuries. Insua had a poor game along with Kuyt and Lucas (who has a good game every 20 games). Why was Aqualani not used at the end is a wonder. Rafa has a lot to answer for. His substitutions have been inspired only on a few occasions, so no need to defend his case. Its also usually very very late, too late for a player to even warm up. Aurelio came in and took a free kick in a good position. He naturally ballooned it. Why did he take it when he had not even kicked the ball before that? Rafa blames everything from the pitch to the players to the ref (and a beach ball…this one I give him!!) but himself. Please be a man about it. Plus point…. we are drawing, not losing. Maybe, just maybe, when all our boys are back and running full steam in the 2nd half of the season (ala mud U style), we will win all our games….we can still maybe be there or thereabouts.
So you agree with MA and say Lucas is mainly to blame for our poor run of form but the when rest of the team playing WORSE than Lucas, they´ve got no blame. It´s still Lucas´fault. (He´s been voted MOM at least 3 times in league games this season) Aquilani would surely have been subbed on had it not been for a couple of minor incidents in the 1st half (Agger, Babel) and so Rafa had to bring on a FIT, senior player on his LAST sub, not one that is recovering from injury. Does that answer it for you, Red 77?
In the end you admit that our run of bad form might be a result of injuries. Why do you insist on thumping Rafa then?! WAKE UP
yes the defence let us down again. some tweaking has to be done. bring up ayala to a regular spot. also martin kelly when he is fit. kuyt is having a lot of bad games. he should have got a penalty when bellamy ran roughshod over him. its about time video replays play a role in decisions which are disputed.
Lucas was almost MOM yesterday. Only Masch, Stevie and mabye Yossi played better for us. Stop blaming Lucas when he doesn´t deserve it and stop hailing Gerrard/Torres when they play under par.
you need to get your eyes tested !
Lucas is still our problem, I was amazed when Rafa substituted Benayoun for Aurelio. He wasted the best opportunity when he headed the ball away, the same way that Adebayor scored his first for the citizens.
Come on mate get real Lucas has been awesome this season, how can you look at one missed chance when Liverpool should have created more, so SHUT UP!!!
LUCAS is not creative,he cannot deal with aerial balls yet he is a midfielder. its better 2 field PLESIS
I never said he was creative but he seems to be able to hold that midfield well, breaking down the attack and then play short passes to start attacks he has played very solid