Liverpool players have been queuing up this week to spout off about how you can't buy history.

Sadly for them, the problem will be buying a future.

And after City, for the second time this season, edged a hard-fought draw against the Scousers, the visitors should start to realise that the past is past.

Forget the arrogance implicit in the "no history" statements of Javier Mascherano and Dirk Kuyt, who seem to think history is only a reflection of the trophies you have won, rather than something which every club in the country has, in rich variety.

City have their own rich history, and if Kuyt and Mascherano don't know that, put it down to ignorance.

But they should all know that in football, the present and the future is all - and on this evidence, City are pressing ahead more boldly than the Anfield side.

If Liverpool truly want to know where history gets you when recession bites, they should ask Wolves or Nottingham Forest.

And if they want to know how much of their kind of "history" money can buy, they need look no further than the top of the table, and Chelsea.

Had it not been for an indifferent display from referee Peter Walton, City could easily have won the game.

The Northants official missed plenty, but his worst error came after an assault by Javier Mascherano which would have warranted a straight red but didn't even bring a free-kick.

The national media have been queuing up to pan this game as a major disappointment, one commentator describing it as the "worst game of the season".

Said commentator clearly didn't make it as far as the Britannia Stadium last Tuesday night!

City tactics

At least, this game was intriguing on a tactical level, and the two sets of fans were absorbed, even if a neutral watcher might have wanted to see more attacking enterprise.

And, while goalmouth action was in short supply, the dullness could largely be laid at Liverpool's door.

They set out to negate and to nullify. At least the Blues, albeit forced into it by the suspension of Patrick Vieira, played with Stevie Ireland advanced, and with two wingers in Shaun Wright-Phillips and Adam Johnson.

City needed a response after a week which had resonated with ill feeling, whether real, imagined or exaggerated.

The poverty of the performance at Stoke needed to be rectified, and the rumours bouncing around about rows between the manager and Craig Bellamy, and training -ground disgruntlement, needed to be put to bed.

There is no better place to dismiss such tittle-tattle than out on the pitch, and City certainly did not look like a team in disarray.

Mancini's response to the dreadful performance at Stoke was to ring the changes, with skipper Kolo Toure and Roque Santa Cruz being demoted to the bench, and Wayne Bridge, Vincent Kompany and Stevie Ireland returning.

It brought an instant result, with City looking far more secure at the back whenever Liverpool - hardly the most adventurous of sides - crept into their half.

Kompany brings extra height to the back four, as well as a degree of composure and certainty.

But most of the first-half action was at the other end, as the Blues tried to slice or bludgeon a way through the packed ranks of the Mersey-siders.

Liverpool defence

Liverpool have now not conceded a first-half goal for nine matches, and theirs is a particularly unappealing brand of football.

Vieira's absence forced the City manager to abandon any plans he may have had to repeat the defensive three-man midfield he employed to such poor effect at Stoke.

The result was that City were immediately on the front foot, and they looked so much the better for it.

If anyone was going to win the game, it was going to be the Blues, but the absence of Carlos Tevez - still in Argentina - was again glaring.

The wing-play of both Johnson and Wright-Phillips failed to unlock, even though Sweepy threatened at times in the first half, and the confident new boy frequently forced Liverpool to double up their markers.

Emmanuel Adebayor also rose to the challenge, isolated as he often was.

This was his best display for some time, even if Pepe Reina beat away his volley which was arrowing inside the near post - and was the best chance of the match. He should also have done better with a header after Kompany - showing he is as subtle and able in the opponents' box as in his own - delicately lifted a cross to him ten minutes from the end.

The Premier League is toying with the idea of introducing play-offs to determine the fourth Champions League spot to go with the automatic top three.

The news for Richard Scudamore and his money-mad bean counters is that we already have them - and this was one.

With vast amounts of money at stake, any projected end-of-season bonanza would, no doubt, end up like this, tight, tactical and a televisual turn-off.

The race for fourth tightened up considerably after this result, especially with Aston Villa and Spurs taking advantage - and with everyone nervously glancing over their shoulders at Everton's rapid progress up the table.

This was billed as the Battle for Fourth Place - and the winner was Spurs, who grabbed that placing with a 3-0 victory over Wigan while Villa, who romped home 5-2 against Burnley at Villa Park, showed they too are very much still in the mix.

What do you think? Have your say.