Summary: City were holding an unimpressive Liverpool side until the hosts latched onto a City mistake near their own area. Steven Gerrard drove an unstoppable shot beyond Weaver to give the Reds the points. A reshuffled City, with Micah Richards in midfield, had held Liverpool prior to that and came close near the end when Samaras & Reyna forced saves from Reina.
Team news: Nedum Onuoha made his first start of the season, coming in for Georgios Samaras. The change in personnel saw a reshuffle, with Micah Richards stepping into midfield, a position very familiar to him from youth level football and a couple of times for the first team last season.
For the hosts, Hyypia, Garcia and Zenden replaced Alonso, Gonzalez and Pennant from the team that beat PSV in midweek.
The Match
City had the best of the opening exchanges, but it was Liverpool who had the first good chance on six minutes. Dunne’s defensive header fell to Kuyt, who nodded it to Crouch. The England striker steadied himself just inside the box, but his shot looped a long way over Weaver’s bar.
Gerrard latched onto a ball from Dunne 12 minutes later and rifled in a shot from outside the area, but the ball was wide of Weaver’s left post with the keeper in the right place t save had it been on target.
The home crowd came to life on 21 minutes, but not for action on the pitch - Didi Hamann earned a huge ovation from his old fans when warming up down the touchline towards the Kop.
Micah Richards, playing in midfield, found himself in an attacking position on 24 minutes and passed to Corradi. The Italian pulled his shot well wide of the post, and with the benefit of hindsight Barton or Vassell may have been the better option.
The chance of the game so far fell to Garcia on 32 minutes, with a long crossfield ball going over Onuoha and into the path of the Liverpool player. The Spaniard was inside the area with only Weaver in front of him, but he pulled his shot into the side netting to the keeper’s right.
Garcia picked up the game’s first booking on 39 minutes for a foul on Onuoha, but tested Weaver two minutes later although the shot lacked power and the score stayed level.
Half time Liverpool 0-0 City
City absorbed the pressure again after the break, with the home fans beginning to get onto the backs of their side. Garcia was replaced by Pennant just before the hour.
But City had their best chance just seconds later. Vassell and Richards menaced the Liverpool defence, and Corradi shot when the ball fell to him but it went just wide of Reina’s right post.
City were incensed shortly afterwards when Finnan clearly tripped Barton just outside the box, but the referee waved away the protests for a free kick.
However a spell of City pressure was broken when Liverpool took the lead on 67 minutes. Barton’s pass to Distin was intercepted by Kuyt, who passed to Steven Gerrard. The England midfielder moved towards the area and drilled his shot past Weaver’s left hand into the bottom corner of the net.
The wind was in the home side’s sails now, and Hyypia drove a low, bouncing shot straight at Weaver with 74 minutes gone.
Samaras, on for Onuoha, forced Reina to palm a shot from outside the area behind on 84 minutes, and from the corner Claudio Reyna’s volley went straight at the home keeper.
That was the final meaningful chance of the match, and City could count themselves unlucky not to leave Merseyside with something to show from the match against a disappointing Liverpool.
