Carlos Tevez pounced on a Martin Skrtel mistake to continue his
Manchester City rehabilitation by snatching a draw for the champions at
Liverpool.
The Argentinian, now firmly back in favour, seized on a backpass to
strike his side's second equaliser and prevent City slipping to their
first Premier League defeat of the season.
Liverpool were much
improved after crashing 3-0 at West Brom in their opener and twice led a
pulsating clash with goals from Skrtel and Luis Suarez either side of a
Yaya Toure effort.
But new manager Brendan Rodgers was denied his
first league win as City again produced the sort of fightback they are
beginning to specialise in.
After coming from behind to win their
last three games 3-2, a City side which showed five changes had to
settle for a draw this time.
Liverpool dominated for large spells,
with 17-year-old striker Raheem Sterling impressing on his first league
start and Joe Allen looking composed on his home debut.
Mario
Balotelli partnered Tevez up front for City on his first start since
being sent off at Arsenal last April - and on a ground where he was
dismissed last year - but despite looking focused, had a quiet game.
Liverpool showed early intent as captain Steven Gerrard twice stabbed low long-range shots wide in the opening three minutes.
Yet
the game had hardly started when Liverpool were forced to make a change
as Lucas, who missed most of last season with a knee injury, hobbled
off after four minutes.
City had their first attempt on goal when
Aleksandar Kolarov fired a free-kick straight at Jose Reina before Pablo
Zabaleta launched a counter-attack with a fine tackle on Fabio Borini.
Tevez took up the attack but his cross found no-one.
Liverpool
should have gone ahead when the lively Sterling whipped in a fine cross
for Fabio Borini but the Italian volleyed wide.
Tevez almost made
him pay instantly as he latched on to a well-weighted pass from Samir
Nasri and rounded Reina but the angle was too tight and he did well
enough to hit the far post.
Kolo Toure tried his luck with a
long-range shot but Skrtel blocked and a free-kick on the edge of the
area came to nothing after Balotelli robbed Sebastian Coates and was
tripped by Martin Kelly.
Liverpool then began to establish control with Sterling particularly looking a handful.
Kolo
Toure blocked an effort by Borini, Suarez curled wide and City captain
Vincent Kompany almost sliced a vicious low curling cross from Gerrard
into his own net.
The Reds were not to be denied any longer as
Skrtel came forward for the resulting corner and powered a header past
Joe Hart from Gerrard's cross.
City were stung by the goal and struggled to make an impression as Liverpool dominated the remainder of the first half.
The hosts went close to doubling their lead before the break as Suarez flashed narrowly wide with another effort.
The
Merseysiders thoroughly deserved their half-time lead and ovation and
returned with much the same enthusiasm as Borini pounced on a mistake to
set up Suarez, but the Uruguayan missed the target.
City boss
Roberto Mancini began to make changes around the hour as he sought a way
back into the game. Former Everton man Jack Rodwell predictably entered
to boos from the home fans when he replaced Nasri and Edin Dzeko came
on for Balotelli.
Within moments City were back level, but it owed much to defensive mistakes.
Tevez
beat Sterling on the right and fired in a cross which the outstretched
Reina was unable to claim. Kelly was wrong-footed by the Spaniard's
attempts to gather and could not prevent the ball bouncing off him into
the path of Yaya Toure, who swept home from close range.
Liverpool did not dwell on the disappointment and produced the perfect response.
Rodwell was penalised for handball 25 yards from goal and Suarez stepped up to bend a low effort past an ineffective wall.
It
might have got worse for City as Glen Johnson charged into the area and
went down but Kolarov was deemed to have made a clean tackle.
Yet
just as it seemed Liverpool had the measure of the champions, Skrtel
gifted them a way back into the game as Tevez seized on his poor pass
back and calmly beat Reina.
Liverpool still wanted all three
points and Jonjo Shelvey shot over from distance before Andy Carroll
came on to a huge roar in the closing minutes.
City also pushed forward and Dzeko twice missed the target with shots.
Carroll almost grabbed a last-gasp winner as he got his head to a Suarez cross but Kompany headed off the line.
