WHEN Sheikh Mansour bought City he probably didn’t budget for a huge increase in washing powder bill or the need for extra laundry facilities.

But the new regime may soon have to address that happy problem given that some Eastlands shirts are experiencing sweat stains where previously there was none to be found.

Under driven boss Mark Hughes City have clearly added perspiration to their inherent inspiration and it is a potent mix as their recent Premier League opponents will attest.

Liverpool were the latest team to experience the two sides of a maturing Blues team that is growing in stature despite some mixed results. Brilliant in the first half but shrinking violets in the last half-hour, City played a full part in what was a pulsating contest.

All work and no play makes for a dull team, but too much unrestrained enjoyment and not enough graft can lead to rank underachievement, so, despite opening this campaign with fewer points than they did last season - nine after seven games compared to 13 under Sven-Goran Eriksson - there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about this current City crop.

It may be that the side will eventually evolve to contain another box-to-box midfielder and more defensive properties but even in its present form City are not far off the standard required for a sustained tilt at the top-four places and they will remain competitive as long as the likes of Shaun Wright-Phillips, Elano and Stevie Ireland are willing to run themselves into the ground at either end of the pitch.

The Blues displayed that by standing toe-to-toe with Chelsea in defeat in the last but one home game and there was more evidence here against the other unbeaten team setting the pace.

This contest was certainly one for the purist with both sides intent on possession of the ball that bordered on an obsession. Sometimes the pace and cadence of the contest was possibly a little too staccato for those who like their football on the raw and reckless side of the coaching manual but some of the movement, angles and intelligent thinking at high speed was of the best quality. 

Hughes watched Liverpool demolish PSV in midweek when the Anfield side managed to get all the statistical nonsense out of the way as Rafa Benitez celebrated his 250th game in charge, Steven Gerrard potted his 100th goal for the club and Robbie Keane bagged his first.

City hadn’t managed to find the net in any of Liverpool’s previous three visits but they were certainly set up to end that particular barren streak. Hughes resisted the temptation to stiffen up the midfield and stifle to the raiding ability of Gerrard and instead stuck with the three-pronged attack-minded triumvirate of Wright-Phillips, Ireland and Robinho behind lone front man Jo.

Indeed, there was only one change from the side that overcame Omonia Nicosia on Thursday night with skipper Richard Dunne restored to the heart of the defence in place of Tal Ben Haim. 

Benitez, somewhat surprisingly given that Arsenal had dropped points 24 hours earlier, seemed to adopt a cautious approach leaving Keane – so often a thorn in City’s side – on the bench.

Fernando Torres was, though, supported by City old boy Albert Riera, Gerrard and Dirk Kuyt in a formation that mirrored that of the home side.

One of the afternoon’s interesting comparisons was the influence exerted by Stevie I and Stevie G on their respective teams.

It was Ireland who struck the first blow in that personal battle volleying home a sweet opener in the 10th minute.

The build up typified the Blues' pursuit of lost causes as Jo took on two men in the box and then Wright-Phillips chased Alonso’s slide tackle and instead of allowing it to go out for a corner whipped the ball back into the middle where Robinho was happy to scrap on the floor before the loose ball arrived with Ireland who scored his third of the season.

For all their control of the ball and the exchange of feisty tackling, Liverpool were powder puff close to goal – Kuyt lifted their best chance over the bar from close range – and it the Blues made them pay in the shadow of half time when Riera brought down Wright-Phillips on the edge of the box.

With Elano and Robinho in close proximity there was some murmuring when Javier Garrido stepped up to take the free kick, but hands that were scratching heads were soon flung into the air in as the 20-yarder lifted over the wall and beyond the despairing Reina.

Liverpool upped their game by half a yard at the start of the second half and reduced the deficit within ten minutes of the restart. Gerrard slid the ball through Garrido’s legs for Arbeloa to cross for Torres to bundle home.

City were dealt a cruel blow in the 67th minute when the hitherto superb Pablo Zabaleta was sent off for a rule-breaking but not dangerous two-footed tackle on Alonso.

There was some hasty rejigging on both sides with Hughes sacrificing his centre forward Jo in the reshuffle and Liverpool sending on Keane and Benayoun in the hope of exploiting their numerical advantage and the inexperience of Gelson Fernandes at right back. They did so with clinical efficiency.

Torres leapt between Fernandes and Hart to nod home Gerrard’s 73rd minute corner for the equaliser and even though numbers were evened up late on when Skrtel was stretchered off after a collision with Ched Evans, Kuyt was able to steal the points stabbing in from close-range after two lucky deflections set him up six-yards out.