Liverpool 3-0 Man City

Liverpool were as good as Manchester City were wretched on Monday night.

Full of belief and strong movement, the hosts were inspired by Andy Carroll, who scored twice, either side of a Dirk Kuyt strike, on an evening which provided another stirring reminder of how the club have been revived by Kenny Dalglish.

As well as further evidence of the need to give Dalglish a permanent contract and the potency of the Carroll-Luis Suárez axis, Anfield revelled in the fine displays from two of their youngsters, Jay Spearing and particularly the debut-making John Flanagan. It's not all expensive recruits at Anfield. Dalglish has given academy youth its chance and the kids are more than all right.

Even without Steven Gerrard there was a verve and hunger to Liverpool. Suárez kept darting all over, Carroll looked every inch a high-class marauding No 9 while Kuyt and Raul Meireles kept Liverpool flowing down the flanks.

Twenty minutes after the final whistle, the music pumping out of the victorious dressing room was Miami to Ibiza from Tinie Tempah. The away dressing room resounded to some major tempers, particularly from Roberto Mancini, who was furious about Monday night's calamitous events.

City had arrived late and never got going. The manager argued it was his fault, blaming himself for the tactics and team selection.

From back to front, the poverty of City's display was bemusing, their lack of midfield bite alarming, and questions will inevitably be raised over why Mancini rested Nigel de Jong.

City have the FA Cup semi-final with United on Saturday but qualification for the Champions League remains their No 1 priority.

City could have gone into third, leapfrogging Chelsea, maintaining the feeling of upward mobility seen in last week's destruction of Sunderland. Instead they have allowed fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur to stay within range, only three points behind with a game in hand.

Mancini is a good manager, and much of the heat aimed at him this season had cooled, but he simply cannot afford to miss out on fourth.

Spurs pipped him last season. A repeat would cause consternation in City's ambitious boardroom. Over De Jong, Mancini argued that he didn't want to risk injury before Wembley, although he still introduced the Dutchman late on. The noisy neighbours have lost their big noise in Carlos Tévez, who damaged his right hamstring and limped from the fray after 16 minutes with City already trailing.

Any lingering signs of life disappeared from City with Tévez's exit. Such a prolific force this season, such a tireless worker for the team, the Argentine was badly missed. His replacement was Mario Balotelli, not many people's idea of the cavalry. City needed their major players to stand up for them, to try to wrest the initiative from Liverpool. They needed Balotelli to become involved. He didn't. They needed Edin Dzeko to look a £27 million striker. He didn't.

The City fans were badly let down by some of their stars on Monday night. If only Dzeko and particularly Balotelli could acquire some of the defiance imbuing City fans, leaping up and down doing their Poznan dance and chanting "we're going to win 4-3" in the final minute.

From the first minute, Liverpool had exuded determination, flowing forward time and again, looking to find Suárez and Carroll. Suárez set up Kuyt but the Dutchman fired over. Still Liverpool pressed. Carroll swept a fine pass through to Suárez, who darted past Joleon Lescott and left fly. The shot was low and hard, seemingly destined for City's net until Joe Hart stretched out a finger and pushed the ball onto the post.

No matter. Liverpool were in the mood. Spearing showed their belief with a neat turn round Dzeko. Such purpose was soon rewarded. Anfield's digital clock showed only 13 minutes when Vincent Kompany's clearance of a Meireles shot fell to Carroll. The England striker's response was immense, the ball drilled past Hart from 25 yards.

City were culpable, Tévez having ceded the ball to Liverpool. Within three minutes Tévez had hobbled away and City almost lost another player just afterwards when Adam Johnson was caught by a nasty late challenge from Fabio Aurelio. Liverpool's left-back was fortunate that referee Mark Halsey deemed the offence only a yellow. City's right-winger was lucky he did not depart on a stretcher.

Liverpool were soon hurting City by more legitimate means shortly after the half-hour. As the rain prepared to descend, Liverpool struck like lightning - twice. First Kuyt capitalised on the chaos reigning in City's box, seizing on a loose ball to sweep a low shot from right to left past Hart.

City were stunned, lacking inspiration without Tévez, lacking midfield steel without De Jong. Mancini's defence, usually so strong this season, was a collection of strangers rather than a well-drilled unit.

Kompany has been one of the best centre-halves of the season yet even he struggled here.

City simply could not cope with the speed and angles of Liverpool attacks. When Aurelio then passed to Meireles down the left, Carroll began moving towards the penalty spot. Meireles lifted in the ball and it was left to the full-back, Aleksandar Kolarov to deal with Carroll. No chance. Carroll steered a glancing header past Hart.

The visitors attempted to rally before the break, and Lescott headed Kolarov's free kick wide, but the game was over as a contest.

In a half full of joy for Liverpool, the Kop enjoyed a hugely promising showing of the teenaged Flanagan. The local lad clearly loves a tackle, sorting out Gareth Barry at one point, but also demonstrating some decent distribution.

At half-time, Mancini called a confab of his coaching staff in the corridor. To little effect. City remained uninspired. Yaya Touré brought some rare action for Pepe Reina, who fisted his shot over.

Balotelli loped around until eventually removed, suffering the ignominy of being a sub subbed. James Milner reacted to his own removal with a petulance rarely before seen in his career.

Mancini has some work to do to rebuild spirits after this chastening evening. Under Dalglish, and with Carroll up and running as a real Kop idol, Liverpool head to Arsenal in good heart this Sunday.

Source: The Telegraph

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