Manchester City will go into their Carling Cup semi-final second leg trailing after a lacklustre performance at the Etihad Stadium against Liverpool.
Stefan Savic - in for the suspended Vincent Kompany - conceded a penalty in the 11th minute and Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard beat Joe Hart with a precision finish.
The Blues - also missing David Silva and Yaya Toure - livened up after the break but could not break through a resolute Liverpool defence.
City must now hope to turn the tie around in the second leg on January 25.
Disappointing
This was a disappointing display from a severely weakened City team, yet they still hauled themselves off the canvas, just days after going toe-to-toe with United, to almost level in the second half.
But few teams in the world could swallow losing three of their four truly world-class players and keep up their performance level.
It made the second half showing against United, without those three, and down to ten men, all the more remarkable.
But here, it never looked to be enough.
Liverpool were fired up and City were given a torrid examination right from the off.
In fact, had it not been for Hart's brilliance, the Blues might have been out of this tie within the opening 15 minutes.
The full effect of the red card for Kompany became evident in that spell, as the Blues looked defenceless, leaderless and, at times, clueless.
It was a big ask to throw Savic into such a big game, three days after his 21st birthday and when he hasn’t started a match for five weeks.
Carroll exposed him early on, outmuscling the defender only to find Hart in defiant mood to block his shot.
Hart then saved superbly from Gerrard and Daniel Agger to keep City on level terms.
But there is only so much one man can do and following a corner calamity struck.
The ball pinged around the box and when Agger tried to burst through, Savic caught him with his studs, the faintest of touches.
Agger made sure of the penalty with an outrageous attempt at a forward somersault. Whether referee Lee Mason would have pointed to the spot had he stayed on his feet is a moot point.
Perhaps the right decision might have been to award the penalty and then book the man who won it! It would have been a novelty, at least.
Not even Hart could stop the deadly Gerrard from scoring from 12 yards out.
Now City needed rhythm. This was the moment when it became crystal-clear why Nigel de Jong has fallen from grace at City, going from key man last season to fringe player this.
De Jong remains a very good player when you are defending – although he didn’t cover himself in glory last night or in Sunday’s derby – but when you are chasing a game his passing lacks the bite and pace which Yaya Toure has.
Midfielders
Gareth Barry returned to the side, and he has been one of the Blues’ most important midfielders this season.
But he has been so successful because he is a perfect fit for Yaya’s attacking bent and David Silva’s dancing genius. He is not the man to take a grip on a situation like this.
With Adam Johnson a spare figure on one flank and James Milner looking like a man who has just run a marathon – which he very nearly did on Sunday – on the other, the Blues were thrashing around in a desperate search for inspiration.
Mario Balotelli has been the go-to man this season when they needed a goal from nothing, and on the rare occasions he got the ball, there were glimmers of hope.
But then he appeared to rick his knee when attempting a blockbusting shot from a free kick, limped around for a while, and then departed, to be replaced by Samir Nasri.
City made a brave attempt to rally, but it looked a bit flat, a bit uninspired – in need of a Yaya barnstormer or a Silva jig.
And the danger was that Liverpool would go down the other end and finish it as a contest.
Nasri drew a nervous save from Pepe Reina as he jinked and then curled one for the far post and then , in first half added time, they squandered the best chance of all.
Micah Richards, again wearing the armband, was doing his best to lift his team and when he powered past England rival Glen Johnson and cut back his shot for Milner, the goal seemed sure.
But the youngster, normally so assured in those situations, swept his shot high over the bar.
It needed a better effort after the break, and City provided it.
Sergio Aguero missed a great chance when he latched on to Martin Kelly’s poor back-pass but chipped his shot over the bar.
And then Richards, who appeared to be everywhere, rose highest at a corner, his header somehow sticking in Reina’s glove as half of the ground rose to acclaim a goal.
The final misery for City was to see Glen Johnson slide in two-footed, studs showing, on Joleon Lescott late in the game, and not even have a foul awarded against him.
Kompany, watching from the stands, must have had a rueful shake of the head at that one, as he got a red card for the same offence, and a four-match ban.
But in the end the Blues did not quite have enough to avoid a second successive home defeat – the first time that has happened to them for three years.
What is your verdict on the action? Have your say.
Comments
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Just shows how City have moved on when the likes of Liverpool have to park the bus.
Cra crap crap................come on mancini, earn your corn. A shadow of the team from first half of season. What a surprise, a two footed tackle, heels together and nothing!!! Thank you FA for nothing!!!!
Worrying....but CTID
One commits to defend and get the ball away and one come in to strike? It's not a penalty. The foot is already up to get the ball out and there was nothing deliberate, the foot naturally went with the body motion.. City might aswell not bother turning up for a game because they can't do nothing right for doing wrong.
The scousers came with a defensive game plan. We can still beat them at Anfield and make the Final. It won't be easy but it's a good time to get our first win there in as many years.
Keep the faith fellow BLUES. The pundits will be hounding us with all kinds of negatives.
The top of this report should be Johnsons 2 footed launch tackle, that Lee Mason did nothing about is the Fa going to step in and give the ban, or is it only City that the referees are sending off and giving penalties against. Seems so easy to book and send off city players.
“You would never guess that City have got the chance to play Palace or Cardiff in a final to win a trophy. There's a lack of atmosphere, there are 5,000 or 6,000 empty seats and the fans aren't getting behind the team.”
Alan Shearer on the Beeb
Man city are missing a few things at the min... Ones a title... Twos kompany.... And threes a crowd!!
Ouch. A very bad night for City. Apart from Richards there is hardly anybody who comes out of this with a great deal of credit.
No excuses. Well done Liverpool. Just hope this doesn't knock us too much off our stride.
Onuoha in for savic please .Anfield next for a 0-2 win ,CTID
Another game marred by a thuggish tackle, oh the irony.
Q The whines and whingeing.
Savic and Kolarov were awful.
I'll look forward to hearing the FA announce Johnson's ban tomorrow for the 2 footed challenge.
I said it on here a week or so ago, City need another player in the Silva mould. Oh how he was missed tonight. Can't think of a single player who came out with credit. Never put the mickeys under pressure. From the moment they scored it was game over. Too many passes went astray or square or back. Only half time though, so all hope is'nt lost.
HAHAHAHA! Glen Johnson goes in two-footed, takes the man and the ball, yet doesn't even get a yellow? YCMIU!
Fair dues, it was a penalty and Liverpool could have been 2 or 3 up at half time. But I tell you what - never thought I'd see the Scousers come to ours and park the bus! When's the last time Liverpool came to City and defended for their lives to protect a 1-0 lead?
Quite fancy our chances at Anfield if Liverpool are as cowardly as that!
P.S. I agree the first half was far and away our worst performance of the season.
Well i will comment before its over.In the first halve hour we look ashadow of our former selves. Milner is working hard as is clichy richards and hart but it makes one realise what graet players we have missing. Does anyone trust Savic? Not because of the penalty just looks unconfidnt and as for Ballotelli he seems totally out of sorts. Neverthe less I suppose the true grit showed against MU might come to the for I just hope its not too late.
Lapsy daisy from the Blues tonight....
Johnson should have walked tonight...2 footed lunge ..Gerrard saying nothing wrong with the tackle ..
DISGRACE !!
PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE HERE WE COME ...
CITY FOR LIFE !!
Sort out our First Half Performances and we'll be fine.....No Panic !.If this is our 'Blip' and we're Top of the League,We ain't far off !....,Normal Service shall be resumed at Wigan.MCFC OK !.
Saw a couple of challenges of the same, if not stronger, force as Kompanys from Liverpool tonight and shock horror not even a foul given, let alone a booking or that good old Manchester City patented Red..........
Savic is gonna get a lot of stick because he is Kompanys replacement and he gave away the pen, had an average game etc but we must support the lad. He is young and not had much game time, there are definite arguments to have Ned alongside Lescott because he is more experienced and physically stronger but Savic is a talented player - i hope his confidence isn't knocked.
Big plus for me was Nasri who looked class, Liverpool really pushed in the opening period and were good value for their lead, cant complain about the result to be honest, fair play to them. Losing Vinny, Yaya, Silva and the experience of the ever improving in recent weeks Kolo showed tonight, as did the fact we had that grueling game on sunday. A decent few days between now and the Wigan game will be much needed and for once im glad we are waiting till monday night to play...................hope Mario only has a slight knock.
City have SOLD OUT, Everything except there Stadium! o dear Great players who dont care And dont play for each other. The City players didnt want to know they just wanted to go home and count there money. A lift for the reds indeed.
This site should be busy or we you at the match.
Why is Savic getting slated? He was nowhere near Agger who had just hand-balled!
Did nothing wrong the whole match. Also thought Nasri did quite well.
0-1 isn't the end of the world. Hopefully at home, they won't park the bus in the 2nd leg.
as well as the Johnson 2 footed tackle why was nothing said about Adams incitement on
Mario ?
We may have a strong squad as the so-called pundits keep saying, but take Vincent, Yaya and Silva out of the team and it loses all character.
Just a question: if Vincent winning the ball off Nani was a red card, what was Johnson's two-footed lunge at Lescott?
So clearly there was not an inquest following the United defeat regarding rash tackles in the penalty area and the performance of Kolarov !
Once again we gift away a penalty when the player is not looking like making a shot on target, last week Downing should have put Liverpool ahead and we would find ourselves in an even worse position.
Clueless and toothless, Spurs are looking like they are coming good, United have a big squad - I said by the end of January we might look like having a less successful season than last year, just feel sorry for my student son who has travelled two hours on a train twice in 3 days, wet and defeated, not good enough - we knew Savic was inexperienced why not make Hart Captain or Barry ?- someone who could lead in the absence of Kompany!
Oh well, as the Glen Johnson tackle proved, big decisions always have a big impact but that is one player, we need to be better than that - Mario was a disgrace and Dzeko again frightens no one!
Bobbins in first half ...I think we can still do it !
Glen Johnson tackle, Where shall we start.....
The manager is well on his way to securing a cup exit hat -trick.Id like him to explain why he sent out a bunch of players who didnt appear interested,with the exception of Hart and Richards.His gamble in playing Savic was soon shown to be a mistake and he needs to restore Richards to a central position,and can he also explain why he keeps playing the clown Kolarov.Im afraid the wheels are coming of the wagon and he doesnt seem to have a clue what to do about it.