Player ratings: Manchester City v Liverpool
Given – One straightforward save was all that was required as the defence in front of Shay was outstanding. Did well with a series of tricky corners in the first half. 6
Zabaleta – Won some crunching tackles and looked to get forward whenever he could. A big improvement on his recent performances. 7
Kompany – A welcome return for big Vince and he totally dominated the penalty area. 8
Lescott – Looks to be back to full fitness and forged an excellent partnership alongside Kompany. 7
Bridge – A steady if unspectacular game. Defensively sound even if he didn’t manage many of the trademark attacking bursts. 7
de Jong – After the games against Stoke, Nigel looked glad to see the ball back on the floor. Provided an excellent shield, getting stuck into countless tackles. 7
Barry – As one paced as ever, but his form is improving and he retained good positional sense. It would have been good to see Gareth play some of the incisive passes of which he’s capable. They might have made the difference. 6
Ireland – Stevie took a lot of stick, but he was often crowded out. There wasn’t a lot for him to work with, as only the idiosyncratic Adebayor was ahead of him most of the time, and they’re yet to form an understanding. 6
Wright-Phillips – Looked like he was going to have a duel with Insua before Mancini decided to switch him to the left flank. Shaun looks lost over there and it was a shame he never got switched back. 6
A Johnson – Started brightly and was unaffected by the switch of wings. His close control is excellent, but the final ball was often a disappointment. Looked to tire badly in the second half. 6
Adebayor – Playing as a lone striker and target man, Adebayor won a surprising amount of high balls, particularly in the first half. Worked hard even if he wasn’t quite able to break free of the Liverpool marking. 7
Subs:
Bellamy – Came on to a big ovation and ran around but, in all honesty, nothing he attempted came off. Needs to rediscover his attacking form. 6
Ibrahim – A surprise call by Mancini. Abdi took a while to get up to the speed of the game, and it was a long-shot to hope he could make the difference in such a tight match. Managed a long-range shot just before the end. 6
Man of the match: All the heroes were at the back, and Vincent Kompany marshalled the lot of them.