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  • Date:2007-12-30
  • Kick-off:16:00
  • Venue:City of Manchester Stadium
  • Attendance:47321
  • Referee:Rennie, U

Live Commentary

90mins

0-0 at Eastlands in a dour game. Both sides resorted to long range efforts in game of defensive brilliance.

87mins

Another brilliant block by Dunne diverts Benayoun's goal-bound effort after Gerrard set up the Israeli midfielder.

84mins

Torres goes into the book for a foul on Richards

83mins

This has been painful at times for the biggest crowd at City's Eastlands Stadium. Every time an attack looks like it's about reap some reward, either defence steps in to clear the danger.

80mins

Torres and Dunne both go down in a heap in the City box. Liverpool fans think it's a penalty but referee Rennie waves play on.

76mins

Into the last 15 minutes now and it's looking like a point-a-piece for these two. It hasn't been pretty but both sides will be happy with a draw.

74mins

City also make a change with Geovanni coming on for Vassell.

74mins

Kewell comes off for Babel.

71mins

Kewell heads well wide from Gerrard's corner kick.

70mins

Torres is played in by Benayoun but once again, Dunne gets back to clear for a corner.

68mins

Elano makes way for Bianchi.

67mins

City are beginning to respond with some crisp passing of their own. But just as one move gathers momentum, Corluka overhits his pass.

64mins

Benayoun plays in Gerrard on the edge of the box but his first time shot goes high and wide of the City goal.

61mins

Fernandes takes to the field for City in place of Ireland.

60mins

Benayoun tries his luck from 25 yards but Hart does well to tip over.

58mins

City fans scream for a penalty after Vassell swings over a cross but ref Rennie says it hit Carragher's chest.

56mins

Vassell does well to hold off Carragher but as the City striker looks to run on goal Mascherano gets back to cover.

53mins

Liverpool have picked up the tempo but the game continues to be a battle of midfield and defence.

50mins

Gerrard tries his luck with a 30-yard free-kick but his effort whistles past the post.

48mins

Good move by Liverpool as Aurelio gets round Onuoha and his pass is dummied by Kuyt but, as it opens up for Torres, he shoots weakly at Hart and the former Shrewsbury Town keeper saves easily.

46mins

The sides come out for the second half and both will be looking to find away through some solid defending. You get the feeling one goal might settle this game.

45mins

Both defences are on top as the sides go in all square at the break.

43mins

A good passing move sets up Benayoun on the edge of the City box but the midfielder loses his footing as he unleashes his shot and the ball flies wide of Hart's goal.

40mins

Gerrard is playing in a deeper roll to let Benayoun go forward. Perhaps the England man needs to stride out of defence more to help break the deadlock for the visitors.

38mins

Benayoun does brilliantly to twist and turn into the Liverpool box but Ball is there to clear the danger.

35mins

The game's getting spread now and it's City turn to go close. Vassell chests the ball into the path of Elano but the midfielder slips at the vital moment as he closes in on goal and Carragher is able to clear.

32mins

Good save by Hart as he tips over Aurelio's speculative 35-yard drive. Corner to Liverpool.

30mins

A couple of deflections almost see Liverpool snatch the lead. First Gerrard's pass finds Kewell after hitting Onuoha. Then Kuyt's shot hits Richards before dropping just wide of the post.

28mins

It's a carbon copy block by Carragher as Ireland sets up Elano to finish off a flowing City move but the Liverpool defender does brilliantly to block his shot.

26mins

Superb defending by Richards as he flings himself to block Kuyt's shot on the edge of the City box. It was a lovely knock down by Torres.

24mins

Corluka tries a backheel - and nearly sets Liverpool on the attack. Fortunately Petrov gets back for City.

22mins

At the halfway point of the first period, Liverpool are certainly having most of the ball but City are standing firm - for now.

18mins

A typical cross-field pass by Gerrard finds Benayoun but the Israeli play-maker over-complicates the move and loses possession.

15mins

Gerrard does well to clear a dangerous outswinging Petrov corner.

13mins

Benayoun plays a lovely throughball between Dunne and Richards but, as Torres sets off for goal, Dunne does well to clear the danger.

11mins

Great chance for City as Dunne heads wastefully wide from a free header in the centre of the Liverpool six-yard box.

10mins

Vassell does well to flick the ball on for the over-lapping Stephen Ireland, but the linesman flags for offside. It looked a close call.

8mins

What a save by Reina! The Liverpool keeper does superbly to tip Vassell's goal-bound header around the post.

7mins

Richard Dunne cuts out Yossi Benayoun's throughball and plays it back to Joe Hart but, under no pressure, the young City keeper just lashes it out of play.

4mins

Steve Finnan lumps the ball high over the City back line and Richards appears to pull down Fernando Torres as the striker skips away from him. Both players stay down but referee Rennie doesn't see it as a booking for the City defender.

1mins

The game gets underway and a sloppy piece of defending by Micah Richards drifts harmelssly out of play. If one of the Liverpool stirkers had taken a gamble they might have been in on goal.

0mins

Meanwhile, Liverpool will be hoping to make it seven wins away from Anfield this season.

0mins

Manchester City will look to get back to winning ways at home after a 2-2 draw with Blackburn last time out. That result meant City lost their 100 per cent home record in the league.

Match Preview

Something will have to give at Eastlands on Sunday as Sven-Goran Eriksson's revitalised Manchester City side comes up against a Liverpool team that has lost just once on their travels in the Premier League this term.

The match will give some indication as to whether City can really maintain their challenge for a top-four spot in the second half of the season, a challenge which has been built almost solely on their magnificent home form.

Eriksson's side have been the surprise package of the season so far, building on an excellent start to the campaign to be surprise contenders for a European place.

Their form is in sharp contrast to life under Stuart Pearce last season when they struggled to score goals, particularly at Eastlands, and plummeted towards the fringes of the relegation zone in the second half of the campaign.

Michael Johnson could return to Eriksson's starting line-up after struggling with a groin problem recently, while Valeri Bojinov is unlikely to be risked as he is struggling for match fitness after his long lay-off with a cruciate knee ligament injury.

Stephen Ireland is also a possible starter in midfield after completing his three-match suspension in last weekend's draw at Aston Villa.

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has guided his side to two Premier League victories in the last week, although the home demolition of Portsmouth last Saturday was far more impressive than the last-gasp victory at rock-bottom Derby County on Boxing Day.

At least those six points have cemented the Reds' place in the top-four after their early December wobble when they lost successive league games against Reading and Manchester United before being dumped out of the Carling Cup by Chelsea.

Long-term injury victim Jermaine Pennant (broken leg) will once again miss out, but Benitez has hinted that Daniel Agger may return after recovering from a broken metatarsal.

Peter Crouch will once again be missing as he serves the final match of his three-game suspension following his red card in the Carling Cup defeat at Stamford Bridge.


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Match Report

Liverpool maintained their hold on the final Champions League spot after a goalless draw at Manchester City in the clash of the Premier League's fourth and fifth-placed teams.

There was disappointment for Liverpool who must be kicking themselves for failing to take maximum points and make up ground on the three teams above them in the table.

They created 17 scoring chances to City's two, but just could not find a way to goal through a combination of fine goalkeeping from Joe Hart and poor finishing.

As for City, they remain in with a shout of fourth place and are still unbeaten in the league at Eastlands, although this was the first time this season that they have failed to score at home in the Premiership.

Liverpool made five changes from their last-gasp Boxing Day win at Derby as they fielded their strongest line-up.

Fernando Torres and Dirk Kuyt played up front with Yossi Benayoun and Harry Kewell out wide in an attacking formation.

City recalled former Liverpool player Didi Hamann and Elano after the pair had been rested for Thursday's home game against Blackburn Rovers.

In a desperately poor opening half, Liverpool had marginally the better of the few clear-cut chances.

Left back Fabio Aurelio was, surprisingly, their most potent attacking threat, twice going close with spectacular long-range shots, the second being brilliantly tipped over by Hart who had earlier denied Kewell.

City mustered only one meaningful opening, the first chance of the match, when Darius Vassell beat keeper Jose Reina to a high ball but headed narrowly wide.

Liverpool made a far more purposeful start to the second half carving out a number of gilt-edged scoring chances.

Torres had two great openings within the space of 60 seconds, the second rolling inches wide after he had poked the ball past Hart.

Steven Gerrard crashed a free-kick narrowly wide, while a terrific shot on the run from Benayoun was tipped over the bar by Hart.

City weathered Liverpool's early onslaught, but failed to cause their opponents any trouble defensively as Reina remained a spectator for much of the afternoon.

City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson sent on Rolando Bianchi, Geovanni and Gelson Fernandes in a bid to break the deadlock while Liverpool threw on Ryan Babel in an attempt to provide more attacking ideas.

The changes were to no avail as neither side could conjure the goal which would have broken the deadlock.

Liverpool came closest late in the game when Kuyt's header was brilliantly saved by Hart with Richard Dunne completing a goal-line clearance as City preserved their clean sheet.

Manchester City

Liverpool

Corners

29

Fouls

47

Goal attempts

419

Shots off target

18

Offsides

27

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