City’s first home game since Mario Balotelli‘s departure was marked with several signs from the supporters about their enigmatic former striker.

City got the better of the opening exchanges, and tried to force the issue against Liverpool. However, despite the gruelling mid-week fixture at the Emirates, the Reds refused to be intimidated inside the champions’ den, and slowly started to assert their authority. With Gerrard and Henderson at the heart of their midfield, Liverpool were able to overwhelm the City midfield for large parts of the first half. In spite of that, it was the Citizens who took the lead through Edin Dzeko, who tapped in a simple goal after being fed by a hard-working James Milner.

It was an extremely soft goal to concede for Liverpool, as Milner received the ball from a throw in and was given too much time to deliver a cross. Just six minutes later, City appealed for a foul on a challenge on Dzeko by Agger. The referee waved it away, and the Reds went on to attack with Dzeko remaining grounded. The home crowd booed relentlessly, and the boos intensified when their former player, Daniel Sturridge, scored a peach of a goal from twenty yards out to level the contest.

In the words of the commentators, the Reds did nothing wrong as the referee waved on the protests, and were well within their rights to attack the home goal. Sturridge, who didn’t celebrate his goal, was in inspired form throughout the match. He gave the Liverpool attack an extra dimension, and was able to nicely hold up play as well. He continued his telepathic partnership with Luis Suarez, the latter making a nuisance of himself as usual.

The duo were very much up to task as they gave Mataja Nastasic a pretty hard time. At the other end, the City attack was virtually non-existent for large parts of the first half, with David Silva unable to get a foothold on the game. Yaya Toure’s presence would have greatly evened things out, as Javi Garcia was constantly overrun and passed into circles by Gerrard and Co. At the half-time whistle, Rodgers was clearly the happier manager, and it was certain that Liverpool would go for the win.

The Reds would once again come out all guns blazing in the second half, as the trident of Gerrard, Sturridge, and Suarez looked to kill off City’s rapidly fading title challenge. Such was the dominant nature of Liverpool’s attack that veteran defender Jamie Carragher nearly scored from six yards out from a Suarez cross, only for Joleon Lescott’s last minute intervention to deny the Liverpool legend a rare goal. Sturridge, who had a wonderful game up to the 56th minute, blotted his copybook by being booked for simulation. You could already think of the internet ‘trolls’ relishing that moment.

City seemed unable to get the Reds off the ball, and even the introduction of Alexander Kolorav didn’t change that. Introducing Nasri or Tevez would’ve been a better option. City’s only real threat came when Johnson played a short pass to Carragher, who lost it to Aguero, only to win it back seconds later, snuffing out the chance. The full-backs, Johnson and Enrique, consistently bombarded down the flanks, making life harder for their opposite numbers.

Liverpool would take the lead through a beautiful 30-yard goal from Steven Gerrard in the 72nd minute. Gael Clichy cleared Johnson’s pass into the penalty area, only for it to be chested down by Gerrard 30 yards out. In vintage Gerrard fashion, he unleashed a screamer that flew past Joe Hart, who could do nothing about it. The goal capped a scintillating game for Gerrard; and every day now, people constantly seem to run out of adjectives to describe Captain Fantastic. It was a goal reminiscent of one he scored against West Ham United in the 2006 FA Cup Final.

It was all going so well for the Reds, who looked well on course to snatch a well-deserved victory, only for Pepe Reina to hand City a lifeline. It was poor timing from Reina, who unwisely tried to go forward to clear a ball from Aguero, when it was obvious that the striker would get to it first. Aguero would hit the ball from an awkward angle, and score a fantastic goal to bring City level barely a few minutes after the Reds had taken the lead, while Reina hung his head in shame.

The goal sparked the previously anonymous Aguero into life, and became City’s driving force for the rest of the game. Liverpool were shocked at being pegged back by the howler, but still attempted to come forward at every attempt, despite the obvious fatigue.

In the end, it finished 2-2, and the champions were rather lucky to escape with a point. Mancini would be extremely disappointed with his side’s play, and would be dreaming of Yaya Toure’s impending return. While the Reds got two points from two tough away fixtures, they will be extremely disappointed at not having picked up six points from the clashes. It looks as if the continuous choking is going to cost Liverpool a top 4 spot, and City the title, but there are still 13 games left to play.

A result that neither side wanted, on a day that both sides, for all practical purposes, lost.

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