Liverpool verdict

Despite the press campaign to label this the most boring game of recent times, I thought, for a game with no shots, this was a surprisingly interesting battle. I think it is fair to say that this was two teams afraid to lose, but Mancini definitely set up the team to win. On paper, SWP, Ireland and Johnson were all set up to support Ade up front and four attack minded players is certainly more positive than the base of three defensive midfielders used in recent games. The trouble being that Liverpool are an exceptionally organised team under Benitez and if they want to stifle an opposition there are few sides in the premier league better at doing so.

Considering City's last win against Liverpool came courtesy of a flying volley from the world's slowest winger, Kiki Musampa, back in 2005, it shows how far City have come that the team who finished second in the premier league last season should adopt such conservative tactics.

It should also be refreshing that City can produce such a strong defensive display against a strong side like Liverpool. Kompany and Lescott have to be the first choice partnership for the rest of the season, with Kompany being perhaps the standout player of Mancini's reign. Mancini is always very diplomatic in the post-match interviews, but he cannot really be considering the immediate return of his club captain after that display.

There should also perhaps be special mention for Yossi Benayoun who, if some of his teammates had been in his position, could easily have gone down for a penalty in the closing minutes.

The only concern is the switching of wingers which pretty much negated the possible threat of SWP, which, with Ireland underperforming, left the excellent Adebayor too much of a job to do on his own. I hazard to say a Tevez could have been the difference between one and three points.

Finally, I think City can get used to unfair treatment from the media but the number of newspapers who reported Bellamy's appearance on the bench as the result of his spat with Mancini rather than the fact he has hardly trained after a knee injury was disappointing. It seems a lot of people would like to see us fail.