Good point at Anfield, but could so easily have been all three

City this lunchtime kept up their run of successive draws to earn what would usually be considered a very good result away at Liverpool. Four second half goals might make what was in essence a poor game sound better than it was, but on the final whistle there's no doubt it was our players less content with the point, coming from behind to again let a lead slip.

It was Carlos Tevez who surprisingly made way to accommodate the three-man midfield most of us had predicted. There were no other changes to the starting eleven. For Liverpool, Stevie Gerrard was the only one of their recent injuries deemed fit enough to start. Jamie Carragher moved to right-back, Agger and Skrtel starting in the middle. Ryan Babel came in on the left, with David N'Gog upfront alone.

In truth the entire first period was instantly forgettable. Played at a lacklustre pace, neither team really did too much in the final third. The first chance fell to the home side, Skrtel forcing Given to make a good save with a header following a Gerrard free-kick. Central defensive partner Daniel Agger suffered a clash of heads with Joleon Lescott during the move, being stretchered off and later requiring stitches.

A Gareth Barry header on ten minutes was our first real effort. A ball dinked over the top by Kolo Toure saw the England man free in acres of space, a looping header resulting in a stop from Reina, definitely one for the cameras. Moments later and Liverpool's injury problems got worse, a brilliant saving challenge from midfield workhorse Nige de Jong led to his compatriot Ryan Babel being replaced due to an ankle injury. Israeli playmaker Yossi Benayoun was the man to come on.

The forced changes seemed to give us a bit of a confidence boost, and we grew more into the half as it progressed. Stephen Ireland threaded a delightful ball through to Emmanuel Adebayor who would have been free to get a shot off had the linesman not had his flag up. Another nice move saw a low pass infield from Wayne Bridge find SWP by way of an Ireland stepover, but his attempt from the edge of the box was always curling the wrong way wide of goal.

At the other end Gerrard, despite not looking his typically sharp self, was trudging on, creating a half-chance for Dirk Kuyt whose shot was blocked, and putting the rebound just over. Skrtel again threatened in the air, but couldn't get his header on target. A tentative blast from distance by Mascherano was easily rounded up by Given, and Joleon Lescott did well to ease N'Gog off the ball when the Frenchman appeared through.

Neither side had done enough to deserve to be in the lead by the interval, both blunt in attack and lacking that real spark. Kolo Toure, who had looked to have injured his back or hip earlier on, was replaced by Nedum Onuoha, allegedly a hamstring strain. At this point it was difficult to imagine any goals arriving at all.

Despite us looking better from the restart, and for most of the half, it was Liverpool who struck first, but it might have been a very different story had we converted a great early chance; Adebayor got the ball to SWP down the right who beat his man and found Ireland in the centre, with a shot appearing on he tried to hook a ball through to Barry. A chance wasted but the early signs were that we had the bit between our teeth.

Liverpool broke the deadlock in the 50th minute, another poor goal to concede. Pablo Zabaleta's arms were all over David N'Gog and he gave away a needless free-kick. Gerrard curled a dangerous ball into the area, and Skrtel nipped in to beat his marker at the near post and shin in the opener. Set-pieces from those sort of positions are always hard to defend, but we should've done a lot better.

The goal, though, as disappointing as it was to concede, lit up the game, and forced us to go in search of a reply. We started passing the ball around nicely and remained on the offensive for almost the entirety of the half. The introduction of Carlos Tevez on the hour really had a positive impact, we were keeping possession better and outplaying the opposition.

The first sign of the Argentinian causing them problems was as we broke out of defence, Nigel de Jong getting away with a handball and as we sprang forward Lucas earned himself a booking for a cynical professional foul on the former Boca striker. Wright-Phillips, poor first half, drove at the Liverpool defence, taking on three or four but being snuffed out just as he was wheeling back his leg to shoot.

Minutes later Yossi Benayoun saved his side from conceding. A sweeping move involving Ireland, Tevez and Zabaleta needed a last-ditch interception. We were bursting forward in waves, and Liverpool struggled to stop us. The leveller came from a set-piece on 69 minutes. Craig Bellamy whipped a corner in from our left and Adebayor made the most of the home side's zonal marking, stepping back towards the penalty spot to head low and hard, the bounce having too much on it for Pepe Reina.

Seven minutes later the Blues were ahead. Tevez chasing what looked like a lost cause down the flank, pulling Skrtel out of defence and picking out SWP inside the area. Surprisingly the little fella opted to go to his left, rolling substitute Krygiakos and crossing. Completely unmarked and just about onside Ireland opened up his body beautifully to place a delightful effort inside the Spanish goalkeeper's far post. Fully deserved, and at this point three points seemed a formality.

Within a minute of the restart however, and with the defence having been excellent until then, in typical City style we ballsed up. Straight from the kick-off, and by the looks of it without one of our players even touching the ball, Liverpool were level, lots of untidy play leading to a cross/shot from the right by N'Gog, deflecting off Lescott's arse straight across goal for Benayoun to slide in and score. Lots of questions can be asked about that one, no pressure on the opposition at all, and Zabaleta might have been quicker off the mark to prevent the strike, too.

Disappointed at letting another lead slip at least we managed to not go on and concede again, and it was more us looking for a winner than the home side. Wright-Phillips tested Reina with a strike from outside the area, and again went close moments later, having a shot blocked before Tevez got another away. Bellamy also fired over when he could have perhaps done better.

Despite some late wobbles, Krygiakos and Lucas both putting headers wide, we stood tall. Coming away from the game without anything at all would have been a travesty, but you have to question some of the late defending. Though we got by we became extremely panicky, and as happened later on at Old Trafford we were inviting a goal. Several times we gave possession straight back to their 'keeper or defence with aimless punts upfield, on other occasions that could cost us.

Overall, we did reasonably well, but again demonstrated the best and worst we have to offer. When we get the ball down on the deck and pass it around we can unlock most sides, our movement can be excellent and we'll always score goals, but beforehand we were trundling along, long balls out of defence our main tactic and we still at times lack confidence. The second half, however, was very good, more disciplined and able to switch defence to attack.

I thought Joleon Lescott in particular stood out, a quietly solid display after errors in recent weeks. The more of those he can get under his belt the better. Nothing he could personally do about either goal, and he looked pretty composed all afternoon. Toure and Onuoha also did quite well, admittedly against a weakened strikeforce. Nigel de Jong, too, really put himself about and made some fantastically-timed challenges.

As we say time and time again, though, Ireland's the man that makes us really tick, and today we saw glimpses of him at his best. There aren't many players in the division who can spot and execute a pass as early and accurately as he can, and he was full of ideas all afternoon. Tevez, as well, as mentioned, was equally proactive, they're the two who can provide that game-changing ball, and though there have been doubts about them both playing, we need as many capable of doing that as possible.

A draw at Anfield has to be considered a good result, if slightly let down by the Burnley result last time round. Liverpool will point to injuries, and they weren't helped in that respect today, but we have to take positives in that were were fantastic defensively first half, and by far the most positive during the second. With chins up a bit we can outplay anyone, home or away, we just need that belief back, and to cut out sloppy errors that undo otherwise hard work. We'd have taken a point, but we could be sat here with three.

Team:
Given, Zabaleta, Bridge, Toure (Onuoha '45), Lescott, de Jong, Ireland, Barry (Tevez '61), Wright-Phillips, Adebayor, Bellamy