Full Time:
Liverpool (Kuyt 77) 1-1 Manchester City (Bellamy 48)
16:56 Just not good enough to win the title on that performance. Man City‘s away form this season is awful. And the result leaves us a full seven points behind Manchester United with 12 games to go. It’ll take a lot of catching up to do to stay in this title race.
16:55 Rafa is straight down the tunnel, furious no doubt. There’s a few echoes of boos around the ground.
93mins No dramatic late winner this time and Liverpool have been held. Final score: Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City.
91mins Fantastic run by Torres down the left hand side, weaving his way into the area but his low cross is met by a wall of City players. Aurelio’s follow up shop is poor and well over. 2mins left to save the season?
90mins The seconds are ticking down – there’s 3mins of added time and City have posession.
89mins The momentum seems to be slowing down and City are doing well to eat up the seconds. Frustrating and heartbreaking to watch.
87mins SUBSTITUTION Robinho’s off, Caicedo comes on for the last few minutes for City.
86minsKuyt finds space on the right side of the penalty area and unleashes a shot just a yard wide of Given’s right hand post.
86mins This is tense. It’s end to end stuff, but Liverpool are coping with Robinho well. It could go either way.
84mins Great chance for Benayoun on the volley from eight yards out, but it’s straight at Given. Golden opportunity, but well hit by Yossi.
83mins City haven’t given up either and we need to be careful not to slip at the back. We’re in for a thrilling end to this match.
82mins SUBSTITUTION Mascherano off, Babel on. Good attacking substitution, Rafa.
82mins Dirk is on fire. Turns brilliantly in the middle of the pitch, drives forward with no fear before unleashing a viscious shot that Given saves well. This is more like it!
80minsThis is so much better. Kuyt’s goal has sparked life into Liverpool. The Kop are on their feet. Good crosses being put in. Keep up the pressure, lads. City looking weaker.
79mins The crowd are roaring again. This is more like it. 11mins to go. Aurelio’s free kick from the right is a great cross, but Benayoun’s header is off-target. Attack, attack, attack.
77mins GOAL Completely against the run of play and City are broken. Benayoun’s cross is mishit by Torres and it luckily falls for Dirk Kuyt. 1-1 and game on!
75mins SUBSTITUTION Fabio Aurelio on for Dossena. Bloody hell.
74mins YELLOW CARD El Zahr for a late challenge.
73mins YELLOW CARD Skrtel and Kompany clatter in the Liverpool half. Kompany shown a yellow card.
72mins BBC Radio 5 Live’s Alan Green says the title race is over unless Liverpool can conjure something up in these last 18mins.
70mins 20mins to go. Where’s Ryan Babel?
69mins Robinho’s free-kick flies low past Reina’s right hand post. Ref says it took a deflection, City corner.
69mins Man City with some great build-up play, short passes and making their way forward. Skrtel trips Robinho right on the edge of the area, dead centre. This is not what was supposed to happen.
68mins Frustration, frustration, frustration.
66mins City counter-attack, piling the pressure on. Richards smashes the ball and it goes in past Reina off Ireland. Offside though. And it’s back up to The Kop end.
65mins Great flourish from El Zhar on the right, puts a great cross in for Torres and Liverpool win a corner.
64mins Dossena sends another wasted ball forward which continues on to The Kop. Amateur. This is depressing. No signs of an equaliser. Still, 26mins to go.
63mins SUBSTIUTION Here we go. Rafa’s lost it. Nabil El Zhar on for Albert Riera. Make me eat my words, Nabil.
61mins As City continue to control posession, Anfield is nervous. The title is slipping away yet again. Solemn faces in the crowd.
58mins This isn’t good enough. City are enjoying too much posession and Stephen Ireland was just given too much space on the edge of the area. A poor shot in the end, but the ball’s at the wrong end of the park.
58mins It’s looking better. We’re getting the ball further forward and just had a corner which Torres headed over. But City looks calm and in control.
56mins Torres goes close. But not close enough. I’d bring Babel on, Rafa, add some much needed firepower up front.
55mins Riera and Benayoun combine well to take play forward, but Benayoun’s shot is weak and City clear easily. COME ON REDS!!
53mins Liverpool denied free-kick deep in the Man City half. Arbeloa’s cross his Wayne Bridge’s arm, but referee Phil Dowd waved played on.
51mins City continue to pressurise Liverpool and come close again. That was Bellamy’s third goal since joining City in January. Big push now lads. I only hope Gerrard’s absence doesn’t upset this.
48mins GOAL Disaster. Craig Bellamy collects a pass from Kompany and his deflected shot from the edge of the area puts City 1-0 up. Deflection off Arbeloa, Reina had no chance.
47mins Man City looking more organised since the break, finding Robinho well. Keeping posession well. Not looking good.
16:06 Reds get the second half underway.
16:05 The teams come back out for the second half. No changes for either team.
16:04 Elsewhere today, Fulham beat West Brom 2-0 in the early kick-off, Eveton are at Newcastle in the 4 oclock kick-off.
16:02 Stevierimbaud:
I’d go for letting Lucas drift a bit further up the pitch, leaving Masch with the most defensive responsibility. We need more attacking players up there as we win the ball, as simple as that – not allowing them to regroup.
Send me your comments on the game. E-mail: [email protected]
45mins+2 Half-time 0-0. We’ve had our fair share of attacking play, but poor finishes to the ends of good play. Quite lucky not to be behind – Stephen Ireland’s chance should have put City ahead. See you in 15mins.
45mins Great cross from Arbeloa on the right. Dirk Kuyt jumps well to reach it, but can’t quite direct it on target. 2 minutes of added time.
42mins Get my pie ready. Half-time couldn’t come sooner. Rafa’ll be having words at half-time. We need to step our game up dramatically.
41mins Torres turns brilliantly, fooling Wayne Bridge… plays in Benayoun who fluffs his shot wide.
39mins Richards goes tumbling at the Liverpool end. Great tackle from Skrtel, but referee Phil Dowd stops play for Richards’ head injury. Ouch.
37mins Torres paces down the right side and the Reds have acres of space. Good pull back to Riera, but no accuracy with the finish. Best opportunity of the game not taken.
36mins Dossena with a low long range shot, easily saved by Given. Not really much reason to see a breakthrough unfortunately.
33mins Send me your comments on the match so far and your reaction to the reports that Benitez has rejected another contract offer today. E-mail: [email protected]
31mins Reds looking brighter again, but Javier Mascherano’s long-range effort sails wide of Shay Given.
31mins Ireland’s chance just then was the best of the game and Reds are lucky he didn’t tuck it away. Dunne clatters Kut from behind. Free-kick to Liverpool 30 yards out, central.
30mins Robinho dazzles our defence with close control, dipping in from the left hand side. Feeds in Stephen Ireland who shoots straight at Reina. Poor finish from Ireland but danger for us.
29mins Not much going on. Standby for operation Anfield excercise. City fans puzzled. Just another Saturday (or Sunday rather).
26mins There’s a sense of worry around Anfield. It’s early days but a victory is essential today. Maybe the reports of Rafa rejecting a second contract offers is causing anxiety. City fans very vocal.
24mins We need to watch ourselves at the back. City keep hoisting good balls up to Craig Bellamy who’s accelleration might just get him in on goal sooner or later.
22mins Good attacking spell, good passing around and Liverpool forcing the City defence further back. Dirk drags a shot well wide from 20 yards. Poor end to a good move.
21mins Great play by Liverpool, great crosses in that City struggle to clear. The following corner is scrambled away – we’re getting closer, good pressure.
20mins City fans making a lot of noise. Redmen sing up!
19mins Yossi’s free-kick is straight at the wall, and his follow up shot off the rebound is just as bad.
19mins Torres tripped by Dunne right on the edge of the area, slightly left on centre. Shouts of “you’re too fat to referee” from the City fans.
18mins FFS! Dossena’s low cross baffles the whole City defence, but neither Dirk or Nando were there to capitalise. Reina saves the day at the other end, running out quickly to collect a City through-ball aimed for Bellamy.
16mins Benayoun’s crossing so far has been dire, unable to beat the first man. Reds passing it around better now, crowd could shout up a bit.
15mins Good defending from Arbeloa, stretching to intercept a long ball from City that could have been dangerous. Safely back with Reina.
15mins Liverpool passing the ball around better now. Riera’s looking lively, but again City are defending well. Come on Reds!
14mins Something’s gotta happen here, it’s sloppy, the ball’s being lost by both teams and it’s end to end stuff, in a bad way.
7mins City defending strong, frustrating Liverpool. Richard Dunne nips in ahead of Dirk Kuyt at the near post from a cross to clear for another Reds corner.
4mins Albert Riera is outmuscled by Richards and his header from Dossena’s cross goes wide and over.
3mins Liverpool looking lively, attacking well and win the first corner of the game. Positive start.
15:01 Man City kick-off. Liverpool are shooting towards the Anfield Road End in the first half. The referee today is Phil Dowd.
14:58 The teams come out to a warm reception from The Kop. Former Red Craig Bellamy starts for City.
Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Dossena, Benayoun, Mascherano, Lucas, Riera, Torres, Kuyt.
Subs: Cavalieri, Hyypia, Aurelio, Babel, Ngog, Spearing, El Zhar.
Man City: Given, Richards, Dunne, Onuoha, Bridge, Zabaleta, De Jong, Kompany, Ireland, Bellamy, Robinho.
Subs: Hart, Garrido, Vassell, Evans, Elano, Weiss, Caicedo.
14:50 Ten minutes til kick-off and victory is just so important today. We can’t afford anymore slipups with the scum now 8 points clear. It’s cloudy today in Liverpool with a few bursts of sunshine – 7°C.
14:40 Welcome ladies and gents to the first This Is Anfield live commentary of this afternoon’s crunch game at home to Man City. I’ve no idea how this is going to go so it’s pretty experimental! Kick-off is at 3pm.
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