Joey Barton returned from suspension in the only change to last Saturday’s starting eleven. Jihai Sun dropped to the bench, which meant no place in the squad for Ben Thatcher.
Sissoki and Riise replaced Zenden and Luis Garcia for the visitors from their 3-0 win over Portsmouth.
The Match
Despite the onset of winter, the pitch was magnificent condition as always here at CoMS. Stripe-watchers will want to know that City’s groundsmen cut conventional wide stripes on the pitch.
Richard Dunne began the match paying close attention to the much-discussed Peter Crouch.
Joey Barton got things going after three minutes, bursting down the right channel, and his one-two with Croft resulted in a deft chip to Cole, whose ball over the top to Vassell found it’s target just offside.
Liverpool pressure saw Cisse try to find the feet of Crouch after five, but Dunne made a clever interception, and Musampa helped out to clear.
The whole game had more urgency than last week, with the visitors prepared to attack. Croft made a surge down the right on eight minutes, winning a corner which was cleared, but at least City had started much better than against Blackburn.
And on 12 minutes the Blues had the first great chance of the match. A Musampa cross from the byline on the left went straight to Vassell, five yards, but outleaping Carragher he headed two yards wide with a space in the corner of the net to aim at, much to his chagrin.
Vassell was put in from a superb Croft cross on 21 minutes, but the striker seemed to have too much time and rather than find Cole in the middle he was blocked by Hyypia.
Pearce nearly found himself in the action again, when a sliding Mills tackle took the defender off the pitch and into his boss in the technical area! South stand Blues greeted this with a chant of “on the pitch” to the tune of “here we go”....
Cisse threatened on 26 when he took a Crouch knock-down, but opting for the selfish option he shot and was well blocked by Jordan.
After a lull, City stepped up the pressure, and Distin was unlucky not to make more of a great jump from a free kick on 33. He was unluckier to be adjudged to have fouled Sissoki seconds later, but the Reds made nothing from their own free kick.
Gerrard bent a shot just wide of James’ left post on 41 minutes, but it baffled most in the ground when the ball had clearly struck his hand when flying up off Dunne’s boot a second earlier.
Cisse earned the game’s first booking on 44 minutes for shoving Ireland to the ground on halfway. From the free kick, Barton put in a low cross/shot that was inches away from a Dunne toepoke that would surely have gone in.
Finnan conceded a croner on 46 after a deflection on Croft’s cross, but Ireland’s corner eluded everyone. Kewell replaced Cisse on 50 minutes.
A bit of pace from Croft found Cole in space on 53, however the striker was too casual and was dispossessed by Carragher.
Vassell forced Reina into action on 58 minutes with a volley from outside the area , but the ‘keeper got down and saved to his left.
But on the hour Liverpool went ahead. John Arne Riise played a one-two with Gerrard, and his first time left-footed shot flew past James’ right hand to leave the City ‘keeper with no chance.
Crouch was booked on 65 for fouling Barton, and two minutes later Sinclair replaced Musampa.
Cole looked to have been grounded by Carragher on 73 minutes on the edge of the box, but his appeaks were waved away. A minute later Sinclair nearly found Ireland in space, but the youngster was closed down and seemed to get the ball stuck underneath his feet.
Sun replaced Jordan on 75 minutes., and Garcia was on for Riise a minute later.
Crouch came off for Morientes with ten minutes to go.
City were unable to keep possesion for long enough to mount any threatening attacks. Gerrard bore down on James with eight minutes left, but the ball flew behind the goal from the charge-down.
Wright-Phillips was thrown on for Mills with seven minutes left as City threw everything into finding the equaliser.
Despite seeing much of the ball in the latter stages, City were unable to find a way through or over the Liverpool defence, with hopeful balls over the top either just eluding their targets or being intercepted by a Red shirt.
But in staoppage time a Barton long ball was nervily put behind by Reina. James ran ujp for the corner, but nothing could be made of the chance, and a Croft shot was easily dealt with by the Reds’ keeper.
Barton drove a shot in with seconds left, but it was blocked, with the whistle sounding seconds later.
So the game ended in disappointing fashion for the Blues. The Vassell missed header was crucial, and after that City barely threatened Reina until it was almost too late.
Next up is a trip to the Valley on December 4th, where City drew 2-2 last season.
