IT was the ultimate game of two halves as Liverpool shared the spoils with Manchester City at Anfield today.
With the opening 45 minutes a tepid affair, the game exploded into life with four goals after the break as Liverpool took the lead before coming back to salvage a point.
Martin Skrtel grabbed his first for the club to put the Reds ahead in the 50th minute before Emmanuel Adebayor levelled matters.
City then went ahead through Stephen Ireland in the 75th minute. The lead was short-lived, however, as Yossi Benayoun made it two-a-piece just a minute later.
There was a hint of offside about City’s second but questions were raised once again of Liverpool’s zonal marking system as Adebayor was left totally unmarked to head the visitors back into the game.
Having drawn all of their previous five league matches, it was no great surprise for the travelling support to leave Anfield discussing a solitary point again.
For Liverpool though, this will be seen as two more dropped in a run that now extends to just one win in 10 games.
The Reds were boosted by the sight of Steven Gerrard making a first start for a month since limping out of the 2-1 Champions League defeat here to Lyon.
Following the much publicised placenta treatment in Serbia during the international break, Yossi Benayoun and Albert Riera were both on bench with Fabio Aurelio, but Glen Johnson failed a late fitness test, leaving Jamie Carragher to continue at right-back.
The Reds’ injury woes continued however when Daniel Agger was stretchered off following a clash of heads with Kolo Toure, and then Ryan Babel was withdrawn after a strong challenge from Nigel De Jong.
Agger was replaced by Sotirios Kyrgiakos while Benayoun came on for Babel, only for the Israeli to later be replaced by Aurelio with signs he may have suffered a recurrence of the hamstring injury sustained against Birmingham a fortnight ago.
With Pepe Reina having only one notable save to make before the break, Liverpool displayed the better invention and created the best chance of the first half after just four minutes when Skrtel forced an instinctive save from Shay Given from Gerrard’s corner.
Gerrard then flashed a volley over the bar at the second attempt midway through the half before Dirk Kuyt saw a shot from the edge of the area ricochet off Wayne Bridge for a corner.
From the resultant kick, Skrtel again proved Liverpool’s most likely goal threat as he headed wide but, still, it remained goalless at halftime.
Liverpool started the second half as they had the first, only this time the attacking intent was rewarded when Martin Skrtel put the Reds ahead.
The defender managed what he had erstwhile prevented Adebayor from doing at the other end, timing his run to perfection to get in front of the Togo man to convert Gerrard’s freekick past Given at the front post.
That saw Carlos Tevez emerge from the dugout for the first time, the Argentinian replacing Barry on the hour as City looked for a response.
Tevez’s introduction had the desired effect as City livened immediately.
It took a last-ditch challenge from Benayoun to prevent Zabaleta squaring to Adebayor in the 66th minute, as City pressed for the eqauliser.
That proved a warning for Liverpool who then appeared to stand and watch as Adebayor was afforded far too much space to head Mark Hughes’ side back into it on 69 minutes.
Just seven minutes later, City were ahead.
Trickery from Shaun Wright-Phillips on the edge of the area found Stephen Ireland on the edge of the six-yard box to convert past Reina.
With City hoping to press their claims for a Champions League place here this afternoon, Liverpool could ill-afford to lose this game.
And so Benayoun’s leveller just a minute later dispelled some of the angst inside Anfield.
The relief will be tempered by frustration however.
With this season’s Champions League campaign floundering, there is now more onus on Liverpool to start picking up maximum points in the Premier League if they are to hold on to a prized top four place and make it in to next year’s competition.
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