City are the hardest team to beat in the Barclays Premier League, but six successive draws leaves the Blues wondering “what if”, especially after Liverpool snatched a schoolboy equaliser.
The performance was good, the goals - from Emmanuel Adebayor and Stephen Ireland - a delight, but once more there was a question mark against the defending. Shay Given deserved better.
If there were any fears that Given might be suffering a reaction from the midweek French farce in Paris that cost him a World Cup ticket, the goalkeeper soon dispelled that notion.
Martin Skrtel came up with a superb header at the far post from a free kick in the fourth minute, but Ireland’s finest was more than equal with an instinctive save to prevent City falling behind.
Had we known that would be the best slice of action in an ordinary first half, we might have savoured the moment more. It should have set the tone, given what is at stake for the teams this season, but there was precious little to excite the Anfield crowd.
Gareth Barry, facing the club that badly wanted to sign him from Aston Villa before Mark Hughes persuaded him instead, had a chance to make his mark but, after drifting into a good position unmarked, the England midfielder’s header was comfortably reached by Pep Reina.
Adebayor had good reason to shake his head when he was flagged offside after being put through by Ireland - a television replay showed that the big striker was level at worst
But there were few first-half opportunities for City to threaten a first win at Anfield since May 2003. When SWP did find one, following Ireland’s clever dummy, he snatched at the shot and the ball flew away from Reina’s post.
Liverpool, with Steven Gerrard prominent but without the considerable firepower of injured Fernando Torres, had to cope with two unwanted first-half changes - Daniel Agger sustained a head wound early on and Ryan Babel limped off with 18 minutes gone.
As it turned out, substitute Yossi Benayoun was in decent nick, though it was Gerrard’s second bite at the cherry from a rebound off Joleon Lescott that worried Given most, even if it was wide.
City’s defence, breached three times by Burnley last time out, looked all the better for Nigel de Jong patrolling in front, so it was all the more disapointing to concede after 49 minutes.
Skrtel’s touch in, as he managed to barge in front of marker Adebayor, owed much to Gerrard’s superbly-flighted free kick, but there will be an inquest once more into set-piece vulnerability.
Blues enjoyed more of the possession after falling behind, and Hughes sent on striker Carlos Tevez for Barry with the onus now on the visitors to score and retrieve some reward.
It duly arrived after 68 minutes, almost inevitably from another set piece. Craig Bellamy sent in a fine corner against his old side, and an unmarked Adebayor took two steps away from Skrtel to head powerfully down and beyond Reina.
City suddenly sensed the win was on the cards, and when Tevez’s surprise reverse pass found Wright-Phillips in the box for SWP to turn and cross, Ireland stroked a second, magnificent goal past helpless Reina.
But the celebrations had barely died down when, just 27 seconds of playing time later, the Blues failed to clear their penalty area and Benayoun was able to scramble home the equaliser.
It might even have been worse had the hapless Lucas been able to exploit his free header from a 94th-minute corner. At least there was no repeat of the Old Trafford nightmare.
