 Goals
Anelka 30 pen
Smicer 66
Hamann 80
Fowler 90
Match
Report
Robbie Fowler saved his best for last at Eastlands as Manchester
City snatched an injury-time point off Liverpool.
Fowler's afternoon looked like ending in misery after the former
Anfield hero spurned a string of chances against the team he served
with such distinction.
Amid the misses in a match City dominated, Vladimir Smicer and
Dietmar Hamann had combined to set up an unlikely victory for the
Reds, who were outplayed for much of the contest.
Bravely, Fowler refused to let his head drop and when Trevor Sinclair
acrobatically screwed a shot in his direction in the final minute
of injury time, the former England striker turned the ball home
amid furious Liverpool protests for offside.
It was the very least City deserved after producing one of their
best performances of the entire campaign.
The result did not end a winless run that now extends to 11 games
and did not improve City's paltry record of two Premiership triumphs
at their plush new home.
But at least it gave them some reward for an afternoon of wholehearted
endeavour that looked as though it would end in victory when Nicolas
Anelka fired home from the spot after Fowler had been fouled by
John Arne Riise.
On three occasions already this season, Kevin Keegan has been forced
to explain why his side have dominated a home game yet failed to
register a win.
How City failed to take the lead before Anelka slotted home his
first Premiership goal since October 18 was almost beyond comprehension.
Twice in the opening 10 minutes Fowler should have put them in
front. Yet somehow, the man who scored with such unerring regularity
during his own Liverpool days spurned opportunities he would have
been expected to convert with ease.
The first was a clear case of forgetting where the goal was as
he fired straight, but wide, from Shaun Wright-Phillips' cross.
Wright-Phillips was also the provider when Fowler next saw the
goal glaring at him, this time the former England front man scooping
over from a central position just eight yards out.
Not that Wright-Phillips could do any better when he raced onto
Fowler's lay-off, screwing his shot horribly wide to waste some
impressive approach work.
When Anelka was put clean through by McManaman only to see his
shot superbly kept out by Dudek's feet first save, Keegan must have
been tempted to smooth out his well-thumbed 'how unlucky are we'
speech.
Fortunately for the under-pressure City boss salvation was at hand,
the half-hearted complaints from Liverpool over the penalty decision
and the TV replays indicating referee Mike Riley had called it correctly.
The goal must have been galling for Gerard Houllier as it came
within two minutes of his decision to bolster his defence with Stephane
Henchoz in place of Jon Otsemobor.
Liverpool did rally towards the end of the opening period and David
Seaman was forced into his first meaningful save when he turned
a Danny Murphy volley round in stoppage time.
But when the game resumed, the visitors were still badly outgunned
in midfield and would have been out of the game had Dudek not kept
out another pair of Fowler strikes, the second a fizzing effort
that needed to be smothered at the second attempt.
The loss of Steven Gerrard after an hour would normally be considered
a large negative for Liverpool but the limping Reds skipper had
made a minimal impact, so El Hadji Diouf's introduction actually
provided some missing impetus to the visitors' play.
Emile Heskey had already failed with one headed effort when he
dragged himself above the mediocre once more to sting Seaman's hands
with an angled effort midway through the second half.
The corner proved to be City's undoing as the mass of City players
remained rooted to the spot, allowing Smicer to supply the final
touch to a ball which Seaman was unable to claw back as it bobbled
over the line.
From then on it was anyone's game. Fowler saw a short-range stab
flick over off Sami Hyypia before Harry Kewell smashed a volley
against the post from Murphy's cross with Seaman well beaten.
Even though the game was tilting away from his team, Keegan must
have hoped the luck that has deserted him over the past two months
would return in the form of a winner.
Instead, it looked like it had come for Liverpool after Claudio
Reyna had nodded the second of two poor Murphy crosses into Hamann's
path and the German dispatched his first-time volley into the top
corner with venom.
The City supporters started streaming away, consigned to yet another
defeat. Fowler's last-gasp effort told them they should have stayed.
Press Association
Teams
Man City Seaman, Sommeil, Distin, Dunne, Tarnat
(Sinclair 71), Wright-Phillips, Bosvelt (Macken 84), Reyna, McManaman
(Sibierski 79), Anelka, Fowler.
Subs Not Used: Stuhr-Ellegaard, Wiekens.
Booked: Sommeil.
Liverpool Dudek, Otsemobor (Henchoz 28), Hyypia,
Biscan, Riise, Murphy, Gerrard (Diouf 59), Hamann, Smicer (Sinama
Pongolle 77), Heskey, Kewell.
Subs Not Used: Luzi Bernardi, Cheyrou.
Booked: Kewell, Biscan.
Att: 47,201
Ref: M Riley (W Yorkshire).
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Audio/Video
Reaction
 Gerard
Houllier's post-match verdict
Kevin
Keegan 's post-match verdict
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