Premier League - City chess game ends in stalemate
Manchester City and Liverpool played out a goalless draw at the City of Manchester Stadium that keeps them fifth and fourth in the league table respectively.
After a weekend full of fast-paced and high-scoring matches in the Premier League, this game was more of a fine exhibition of technique and tactics, and was very much a battle of wits between the two managers.
The tone was set by the cagey fashion in which the match started, with City and Liverpool both defending their respective exemplary home and away records.
Both bosses were forced to field unfamiliar defences, with full back Alvaro Arbeloa filling in at centre back in the absence of both Sami Hyypia and Daniel Agger for Liverpool, while Michael Ball and Nedum Onuoha had rare starts for City, with regular right back Vedran Corluka deployed in an advanced midfield role.
It was Rafael Benitez's side who were given the time to keep more of the ball, though Sven Goran-Eriksson's team were content to sit deep and try to hit on the break through the pace of Martin Petrov and find lone front man Darius Vassell.
It was difficult for either side to carve open a clear-cut opportunity, though there were plenty of shots blocked and timely interceptions.
Steven Gerrard and Petrov both found themselves set up with chances by team-mates, but neither opportunity fell to them on their favoured foot in good positions.
In addition, Dirk Kuyt's effort from Fernando Torres' knock down was thwarted by Micah Richards midway through the half, while Jamie Carragher did the same for an Elano shot a few minutes later.
Torres was starting his seventh consecutive match for Liverpool, a rarity bearing in mind Benitez's strict rotation policy.
The Spaniard was bereft of opportunities in the first half, but could have had two goals within the first five minutes following the restart.
First Harry Kewell pulled back a pass from the byline, only for the former Atletico Madrid striker to fire straight at goalkeeper Joe Hart from close range.
Barely a minute later, he found himself all alone to chase a ball over the top of the defence, but could only divert the ball wide of the target past a stranded Hart.
Yossi Benayoun also had a few good chances, including a solid half-volley from distance that Hart had to tip over the bar.
Captain Richard Dunne, who had been imperious throughout, came to City's rescue twice in the last few minutes, as first he hacked Dirk Kuyt's header off the line after it slipped through Hart's fingers, and then blocked Benayoun's close range effort after Gerrard squared the ball to him on the edge of the six-yard box.
reference: "eurosport"
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