Tévez, Petrov, Vieira out of Sunday

Three confirmed absences for the immediate future.

First our top scorer, and probable 2009/10 Player of the Season Carlos Tévez, who will stay in Argentina for the time being due to the recent premature birth of his daughter. Daniel Taylor reported this in today's Guardian, and Roberto Mancini confirmed it in today's press conference.

Next up there's Martin Petrov, who is out for a month with a knee injury.

And then there's Patrick Vieira who has 'reluctantly accepted' his charge of violent conduct and so is banned for the Liverpool, Stoke City and Chelsea games this week. As I said when he was charged, good news from a football justice standpoint, but not a disaster from a Manchester City fan position either.

More Liverpool reax

Henry Winter, Daily Telegraph

Opening salvo: Martin Skrtel handed Liverpool the lead but they needed a Yossi Benayoun strike to rescue a point against Manchester City Photo: GETTY IMAGES

After the Argentine attacker delivered a feisty second-half cameo to revitalise Manchester City, it was impossible not to conclude that Mark Hughes’s use of Tévez would influence whether City replaced Liverpool as one of England’s elite four.

Like Sir Alex Ferguson before him, Hughes may be reaching the realisation that Tévez is best deployed only when running against tiring legs, when the game opens up. All hungry heart and whirring limbs, Tévez acts like a shot of adrenalin on a team, particularly one in search of inspiration.

Kevin McCarra, The Guardian

City have not had such a degree of disruption, yet there is a strange sluggishness, despite the high-octane investment. Mark Hughes really made his mark in 2008 by getting Blackburn Rovers to a seventh-place finish in the Premier League. Regardless of the means at City, it looks as if improving on that is going to be a close call. Hughes' team are sixth at the moment.

Comparisons with the Ewood Park spell are not entirely fair since the strain and scrutiny he encounters nowadays are of a different order. All the same, it is hard to resist pointing out that comparatively impecunious clubs such as Fulham and Birmingham City are among those who have conceded fewer league goals than Hughes' side. His goalkeeper and back four at Anfield had cost some £63m in total.

Tony Barrett, The Times

Unfortunately for City, the penny did not drop until the 50th minute, when Martin Skrtel’s first Liverpool goal startled them out of their torpor.Until then, they had meandered through the game with such little intent that it seemed the precious opportunity that had befallen them — to stick the knife into one of their leading rivals as they aim to usurp their place in the “big four” — would be wasted because of a chronic lack of ambition.

Ian Herbert, The Independent

The United rivalry has been built on that Mancunian ability to discern and exploit weakness and vulnerability; to make you worry for the kind of cobbled defence, callow front line and less-than-fit Steven Gerrard, which Liverpool deployed, and make a kill. But City had no killer. Gareth Barry, who took the Arab dirham and turned his back on Anfield, was not subjected to any of the anticipated derision because he barely seemed to be there. He should have been thumping into challenges and reminding his friend Gerrard why he so badly wanted him at Anfield. Instead, by taking up a series of curiously advanced positions behind Emmanuel Adebayor, he gave pockets of midfield space to Javier Mascherano. The kindest interpretation is that Barry, struggling with the calf problem he brought back from England's trip to Doha to meet Brazil, needs rest.

John Edwards, Daily Mail

City’s stellar signing of last summer owed everything to Tevez tiring of his limited involvement under Sir Alex Ferguson and believing he would be valued more highly at Eastlands.

He may think again after a development that illustrated how managing City these days comes with demands that never used to apply.

Hughes has his hands full trying to keep everyone happy, from owners who want a return on their investment to players who struggle with the concept of squad utilisation.

Stevie praises SWP + Tévez

After their performances yesterday:

"It was good to get man-of-the-match but I don't think I deserved it. I've got to thank Shaun for my goal because he put the ball on a plate for me and made it really easy for me to put it away.

"Carlos was superb, he changed the game when he came on and we've seen him do that in big games before. He can make a massive impact, even late on and bringing him on was a great decision. He was buzzing when he came on and was chasing people down all over."

Hughes too cautious?

Two articles this morning criticise Hughes' lack of ambition yesterday. First Phil McNulty in his blog on the BBC website:

The folly of City's lack of progressive thought was underlined when they scored twice inside seven minutes through Emmanuel Adebayor and Stephen Ireland once Carlos Tevez was introduced and Liverpool's fragile confidence was actually closely examined.

It begged the question [see this - JPB] as to why City did not try this obvious ploy earlier. Hughes said he did not want City to "go gung-ho." Fair point - but just a little more attacking ambition from a side with such lofty aspirations surely?

And then Andy Hunter on guardian.co.uk:

Hughes bristled at the suggestion of negativity in his tactics and, on the surface, City's sixth successive draw, one that kept them a point and a place above Liverpool, having played one game fewer, represents the most acceptable of a damaging sequence. But Liverpool's patent vulnerability presented their expensive guests with an opportunity for more than containment and late counter-attack, and their manager did not alter course to seize it. His employers have preached patient empire building so far but here they had every right to expect greater ambition.

I'm not sure I agree with this. Hughes certainly did change tactics for this game - giving up on the cavalier 4-4-2 for a more cautious 4-1-4-1. And we did look more defensive than in recent games, for sure. But then we were playing Liverpool away. And given that they play with Lucas, Mascherano and Steven Gerrard in central midfield we would have been swamped had we not changed system.

So the critique can only be over the late introduction of Tévez. And he came on after sixty minutes, which isn't exactly leaving it late. I suppose he could have put Vladimir Weiss on for Craig Bellamy in the last fifteen minutes, but it would have been a big risk. And would Weiss have made that crucial tackle in our box that Bellamy saved us with late on? Those last ten minutes were a seige and it would have been folly to risk losing the match. Ultimately, we lost the match not because of a lack of ambition but because we conceded another avoidable goal. I'm not trying to get Hughes off the hook here, bad defending organisation is his fault too. But I don't think that 'being more attacking' is a solution to our problems.

Liverpool reax

Paul Wilson, The Observer

To say Manchester City gave away their advantage cheaply is an understatement. For such an expensively assembled team, they displayed the experience and professionalism of schoolboys in allowing Liverpool to score straight from the restart, less than a minute after City had taken the lead. "We were in a winning position again and we let it slip through not defending correctly," Hughes said. "That's a frustration for us at present; mistakes at key moments are costing us dearly. The players in the dressing room are quite disappointed – it feels like a chance missed."

Andrew Longmore, Sunday Times

“We’ve come to Anfield, scored two goals and got a draw, yet my players are there in the dressing room disappointed,” said the City manager. “That shows how far we’ve come.” Whether Sheikh Mansour, the billionaire owner of City, will see it the same way is open to doubt. Hughes claimed his side were tactically “spot on” in the first half. The 44,000 or so inside Anfield might have used other adjectives: dour, dire, sterile. Pick any one. When the fourth official signalled six minutes of stoppage time, the whole ground groaned in dismay.

Steve Tongue, Independent on Sunday

Although Mark Hughes did not agree, they could have shown greater adventure earlier on, rather than waiting until falling behind soon after half-time. Once he then brought on Carlos Tevez for a characteristically whole-hearted half-hour, City were in the ascendant, scoring twice but immediately losing concentration and conceding again. "Tactically we got it spot-on and always looked dangerous on the break," Hughes said. "Carlos made a real difference and at 2-1 I thought we'd have gone on and won the game quite comfortably. I've got a group of players sitting in the dressing-room quite disappointed."

Rory Smith, Sunday Telegraph

Hughes, on the other hand, must query whether a side boasting more than £90 million of attacking talent should be held to a draw by a team missing six first-team regulars and bereft of all confidence.

The latter is, perhaps, more pressing. This was City’s sixth consecutive draw, and while neither side covered themselves in glory, it was a better result for the visitors than the hosts, despite Hughes’s slightly disingenuous suggestion that City were the better side. “We felt we would have seen the game out quite comfortably had we defended the second goal properly,” he said. “But we have come to Anfield and we are disappointed with a draw. Previous City sides would have been delighted with that. Maybe that shows how far we have come.”

Rob Draper, Mail on Sunday

City or Liverpool for fourth place? On this evidence Aston Villa and Tottenham have as much chance, the draw meaning that a desperate run of results continues for Liverpool, with just one victory in 10 games, while City, unable to defend the leads their forwards secure, have now recorded their own unsatisfactory sequence of six successive league draws.

Liverpool player ratings

Given Unruffled after the disappointment of Wednesday night. One remarkable reaction save in the first half. Probably could not have done much about the goals. 7

Zabaleta At fault for both goals: gave away a silly freekick for Martin Škrtel's goal and failed to follow in Yossi Benayoun for the equaliser. Looked ruffled by Ryan Babel before he went off. Did better as the game went on. 5

Touré Only played in the first half before going off injured but did well. Alert to all dangers and mobile in addressing them. 6

Lescott A good performance by recent standards. Or at least, no obvious disasters. David N'Gog does not present precisely the same problems as Fernando Torres but you can only play against the opposition in front of you. 6

Bridge After the disaster of Burnley this was an important test for him. Must have celebrated when he saw that Glen Johnson wasn't playing, but Dirk Kuyt still gave him one or two difficult moments. But no real disasters, and no league start for Sylvinho yet. 6

de Jong Back in the side after a rest against Burnley, returning to the site of his first really strong performance for City. Tackled very well in the first half - although he could have been punished for his two footed block on Ryan Babel that saw his Dutch teammate go off injured. Had the armband in the second half, but had less to do. 7

SWP A curious mix today: Shaun is usually either very good or very bad. Today we had some moments of real quality - the turn and pass for Ireland's goal in particular - and then some infuriating missed passes and bad decisions. An improvement on his Doha disaster though. 6

Ireland Back in what was roughly his role last year - supported by two defensive midfielders. Looked like someone who has not had much football recently but still changed our game - drifting behind the forward and playing those short passes between defenders. Took his goal - his first in the league since opening day - very well even if he did look offside. 8

Barry Quieter than usual. Did not control the game as he sometimes does, but did take up more attacking positions, trying to feed off Adebayor's headers. Could have scored early on but headed at Reina. Not assured of a start against Hull. 6

Bellamy The fact that Jamie Carragher rather than Glen Johnson played at right back gave Bellamy both less work to do defensively and less space to run into behind. So it was a pretty quiet afternoon out on the left. Took a decent corner for Adebayor's goal. 6

Adebayor Quiet in the first half but improved in time: holding the ball up and linking play well. Lost his man for Liverpool's first goal but took his header very well. 6

Subs:

Onuoha His first Premier League football of the season, he was generally composed but failed to clear the ball in the run up to Benayoun's goal. 6

Tévez Changed the game when he came on. In finding space, holding up the ball and linking play he had the best twenty minutes of his career in blue so far. Will certainly start against Hull, instead of whom though I don't know. 8

Liverpool 2 - 2 City

• Frustrating as it is to blow a lead for the second consecutive game (and third time in four in the league), this is a good result. Of course, after five straight draws you don't really want a sixth. But we are at the mercy of the fixture list here. And a draw at Anfield is still a draw at Anfield. In the context of the season this will appear to be a better result than it now feels.

• But blowing a lead is still infuriating. If we had closed out this game - as well as the easier home ties with Fulham and Burnley in recent weeks we would now be in second with 27 points - just three behind Chelsea. It wasn't a great goal, either. Nedum Onuoha and Joleon Lescott ran into each other, no one cleared the ball and Pablo Zabaleta lost Yossi Benayoun. And this was, by recent standards, a good defensive performance!
  

• And in an attacking sense too we played well. The first half was a non-event, due to injuries and interruptions. But in the second half - up until Benayoun's goal, at least - we played some very good stuff. This was largely thanks to Hughes' changing the shape from 4-2-4 to a 4-1-4-1, closer to last season's set up. The midfielders all linked well with Adebayor, and Ireland revelled in something approxomating his role last year - given the licence to roam thanks to the presence of two more defensive midfielders in the side.

• While we're on the positives, coming back from 0-1 down at Anfield to lead 2-1 is impressive, even given Liverpool's recent form. Ultimately there are lots of different areas where you can look for mental strength, and while we're failing on quite a few of them, the comeback, at least, was heartening. For those 74 seconds we had Liverpool on the ropes. We still need to find that killer instinct, to land that final punch, but until then we're doing ok.
  

Robi could return

Interesting news in the M.E.N.:

Robinho played no part in Brazil's victories over England and Oman after Hughes insisted he wasn't fit.

But he is eager to get playing again after a frustrating lay-off lasting almost three months.

Hughes is understood to be reluctant to risk playing Robinho from the start against Liverpool.

He will keep a check on the playmaker's progress over the next 24 hours though before deciding whether he is worthy of a place on the bench.

I'm sure Bellamy will start on the left tomorrow (although I'm still hoping for a switch to 4-2-3-1), but Robinho off the bench is a great option to have. Certainly better than David N'Gog or Ryan Babel.

RSC talks up game

Our Paraguayan striker knows how important tomorrow's game is:

He said: "People say this is a big game for City, to prove we are worthy of being called a big club. But this is also a big game for Liverpool.

"They'll look at us and see us above them in the table

"Our main aim is to be in one of the Champions League places by finishing in the top four.

"So we need to go to Liverpool and prove we can take one of those places they want to be involved in."

He's right, it is an important game. It will be interesting to see if he's involved at all - I don't know if he's shaken off whichever injury prevented his being in the squad against Burnley. It wouldn't really take much in terms of form and fitness for him to replace Adebayor - who hasn't played well since the Arsenal game. But given that RSC has played one league game this year, and was woeful in it, he's not there yet. When they both get fit Hughes will have an interesting choice on his hands.