That was ridiculous. I've heard of parking the bus in front of the net before, but that was more like parking an Airbus in front of the net; an A380 at that. However painful and nerve racking as it was to watch, it worked. That said, I don't ever want to see the 6-3-1 again. Ever.
Gerrard scored and that is good, but it is still troublesome how many chances were not converted to goals. Sure, Joe Hart had another unbelievable game and is definitely the in form keeper in the EPL, but those chances have to get into the back of the net if we are going to finish 4th.
I'll take the victory, but it still leaves me worried. The tie at Anfield will be very interesting now as the margin for error is still slim.
Ratings after the jump:
STARTERS:
Reina - 7 - Did well with what little he had to do. Dealt with Kelly's errant backpass and also with Nasri's well taken shot. I'm just glad that there were no more gaffs like last time at the Etihad Stadium.
Johnson - 7 - Quite lucky to stay on the pitch, but other than that he had a fine performance. He seemed to excel when pushed as the third central defender.
Agger - 8 - Great game in the back and also won the penalty, even if it was a bit theatrical. He and Skrtel shielded Reina from nearly everything.
Skrtel - 8 - Turned on the afterburners to run down Aguero after he was played through. Another solid outing that will continue to keep Carra on the bench; that is, until Kenny opts for the 7-2-1.
Kelly - 7 - That was a horrible back pass, and he had a few errant touches, but overall he defended well and kept the left side of City's attack fairly muted. Not his best game in a red shirt, but a good game.
Downing - 6 - I thought he had a good first half and whipped in a number of crosses. Had a wonderful volley from a corner which was somehow kept out. He was taken off for a more defensive posture.
Spearing - 7 - I think we are definitely going to miss the wee lad. He is growing with every game and really bossed the midfield while he was in. I hope he heals quickly.
Henderson - 7 - He did waste a few opportunities, but he was always trying to supply Carroll with service. His side to side movement was excellent at trying to open space, even if is was futile when there were 6 defenders on the pitch.
Stevie G - 8 - I should give him a 10 for making a penalty, something Liverpool have definitely struggled with. Again he had a good game. He played a bit too deep for my liking which subdues the attacking threat that he offers, but he helped shield the defense and control the midfield after Spearing went off. Very good game. I hope he can keep these up.
Bellamy - 7 - Worked hard until subbed, even though he recieved little service. He is a constant thorn in the side of opponents and tonight seemed no different. Very good first half in terms of keeping the pressure on City. Faded from the game as Liverpool adopted a more defensive approach.
Carroll - 5 - He was marooned on an island in the second half so perhaps the grade is a bit harsh, but he should have scored on his excellent turn. He also had a few nice touches with his chest, but there were too many very poor touches as well. He desperately needed that goal or that header to go in. He did track back well, but in this case when he is the lone striker the team can't afford to have him tracking back that far. It was a difficult day for him, and not all of it was his fault.
SUBS:
Adam - 6 - An accident waiting to happen. He was very clumsy on a few challenges, although his challenge on Baliotelli may have gotten Baliotelli pulled early.
Enrique - 6 - Shored up the defense well, but did seem a tad bit off the pace of the game. He let in a few crosses that I wouldn't have expected a shutdown LB like him to allow. Not a bad outing though, but not quite his usual.
Carra - 6 - I don't know that I have ever seen Carra that far up the pitch. I don't know that I ever want to see Carra that far up the pitch again. I'm still not sure why he got a yellow out of that when Nasri was the whiny surrender monkey that started the whole thing and was the clear aggressor.