Liverpool Special: Advantage City In The Race For Fourth?

It was billed as the battle for fourth place, as seventh met sixth in the Premier League, but in truth the 44,164 souls who braved the November wind and rain will have left Anfield knowing little more about the credentials of either Liverpool or Manchester City.

For City, an away point at Anfield is rare enough to be celebrated, but there must be frustration for Mark Hughes at the manner in which his side surrendered a winning position so readily. City have now drawn their last six Premier League fixtures, equaling a top-flight record that has stood since 1913.

Nevertheless, Hughes can be pleased at both his side's reaction to falling behind early in the second half, and the way in which they more than matched their hosts in terms of endeavor and quality.

Liverpool, meanwhile, must reflect on another pair of dropped points, and another pair of injuries. Both are becoming common themes at Anfield this season, both have hurried the Reds' descent into a battle for the top six, rather than the league title. Their awful autumn run shows no sign of improving as we head into winter, it is now just one win in ten for Rafa Benitez's men.

They lost Daniel Agger to concussion, and Ryan Babel to an ankle injury within the first 18 minutes against City, and were grateful that the placenta treatment dished out in midweek to Yossi Benayoun enabled the Israeli to manage 70 minutes from the bench.

But, placenta treatment or not, one thing that cannot, it seems, be eradicated at Anfield is a chronic lack of defensive solidity. For over an hour City were limited to hopeful shots and frustrated hand gestures, but, from a Craig Bellamy corner, Emmanuel Adebayor was given the freedom of the penalty area to head his side level, and set the wheels in motion for a frantic last 20 minutes.

Liverpool, as ever, had plenty of possession. But, as ever, they seemed unable to create anything clear-cut. A couple of swings from Steven Gerrard and a header from Skrtel which Shay Given did superbly to claw away was the sum total of their first-half offerings.

It took just six second-half minutes for Skrtel to put that right, diverting a Gerrard free-kick beyond Given for his first Liverpool goal, in his 65th game. It should have been a launchpad from which Liverpool nailed down their status as a genuine 'Big Four' side, and the increase in decibels from the Anfield crowd indicated as much.

Instead, Benitez's men once again aimed their guns at their own feet. Adebayor's easy-as-you-like equalizer was followed by more slack penalty box defending, which allowed Shaun Wright-Phillips to roll a square cross into Stephen Ireland's unchecked run for 2-1. Anfield fell silent, City's away pocket dared to believe.

Alas they shouldn't have been so premature, City may have invested heavily in their squad, but they still have a propensity of their own for self-destruction, and Yossi Benayoun was able to ghost in at the far post to tap the Reds level just seconds later. Hughes flung his hands to his head, and with good reason.

Of course this game was never likely to prove decisive, games in November rarely do, but there is little doubt that City will be the happier side with the outcome when the dust settles. The psychological advantage that comes from a point, a deserved point, at the home of a rival should not be underestimated.

They remain ahead of their more illustrious counterparts in the league table, and boast the means with which to further strengthen their squad come January, a luxury which Benitez is unlikely to be afforded.

Benitez may rightly point to injuries - Fernando Torres and Glen Johnson are both a few days short of match-fitness - but City lost their skipper Kolo Toure at half-time here, and were denied their club record signing, Robinho, through injury. The difference is, Hughes has a squad of 20 quality footballers, Liverpool's is more like 15.

Torres will make a difference of course, and Alberto Aquilani - an unused substitute - will add a bit more verve to the Reds' attacking, but judging by this performance, it will be a tough job to pip the blue half of Manchester to a place at Europe's top table next season.

Benitez has had a lot to ponder this season, today's events will have done little to clear his mind.

Neil Jones, Goal.com