MATCH REPORT
Manchester City's DaMarcus Beasley hit the crossbar as he came closest to breaking the deadlock in an uninspiring draw with Liverpool.
Reds winger Jermaine Pennant had an early chance but his stabbed shot was saved by keeper Andreas Isaksson.
City's best opening came when Beasley cut inside and saw his 75th-minute strike come back off the woodwork.
The home side might have had a late penalty for a Jamie Carragher handball but their claims were waved away.
Liverpool's players wore black armbands for the game as a mark of respect ahead of the 18th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy when 96 fans died at an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.
The game itself started off in languid fashion as both sides lacked an urgency to their play dictated by their current league standing.
The visitors began by patiently passing and probing as they dominated the early possession and Pennant should have put them ahead.
He got round the back of left-back Michael Ball as he chased a Steven Gerrard pass only to see his stabbed shot saved by Isaksson.
City responded through Emile Mpenza heading wide as he, in contrast to the game, was tireless in his efforts to keep the Reds defence on their guard.
A Liverpool corner was allowed to find its way to Carragher at the far post and he should have done better than to put his angled shot into the side-netting just before the break.
That was as good as it got until shortly after the interval when the tempo started to pick up and John Arne Riise fizzed a long range left-foot strike just wide.
Kuyt sidefooted high from six yards out but it was City who went closest when a corner was not properly cleared and Beasley rattled the woodwork with a shot from just inside the area.
The ball appeared to strike Carragher's arm late on as he went up with fellow defender Daniel Agger to head clear.
Referee Uriah Rennie waved away the home side's penalty appeals as City failed to score at home for the fifth game in a row.
BBC Sport
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MATCH STATS
Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Agger, Carragher, Arbeloa, Pennant (Crouch 75), Alonso, Mascherano (Zenden 85), Riise (Gonzalez 65), Gerrard, Kuyt.
Subs Not Used: Dudek, Hyypia.
Booked: Alonso, Finnan.
Man City: Isaksson, Onuoha, Dunne, Distin, Ball, Jihai, Vassell (Corradi 82), Barton, Johnson, Beasley, Mpenza (Ireland 62).
Subs Not Used: Weaver, Samaras, Trabelsi.
Booked: Barton.
Att: 45,883
Ref: U Rennie (S Yorkshire).
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