Sergio Aguero cancelled out James Milner's penalty to earn Manchester City a 1-1 draw with Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium.
The Citizens trailed to Milner's 50th-minute spot kick, but they battled back and rescued a deserved point through their top-scorer's well-taken finish.
Both teams created numerous openings across the course of the lively contest, but in the end they were made to settle for a point apiece - the first time the Reds have failed to beat their opponents in the league in five outings.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Manchester City and Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium. The standout fixture of the weekend pits together two sides battling for a place in the top four, with the Citizens currently one point and one place better off than their opponents in third as we approach the final stretch of another exciting campaign.
Manchester United have already been in action this afternoon, seeing off Middlesbrough 3-1 in a fairly comfortable manner at the Riverside Stadium to close the gap on the top four. Arsenal slipped-up on Saturday afternoon, though, and something has to give at the Etihad Stadium in the coming hours as two more sides battling it out for a Champions League spot lock horns. As things stand there are six points between City in third and Arsenal in sixth, having played the same number of games.
The picture at the top end of the division may become a little clearer come around quarter-past six this evening, with City being able to open up a seven-point margin on fifth-placed Man United with a victory on home soil. Liverpool will have third place in their sights, meanwhile, which they can only achieve with three points against the side directly above them in the table. Plenty on the line to play for at the Etihad Stadium, then, with kickoff in this final Premier League fixture of the weekend at 4.30pm.
Man City head into today's game on the back of a 10-game unbeaten run domestically, although their crown did slip in Europe in midweek as they fell to a 3-1 reverse in Monaco. Things had been looking up for the Citizens in recent weeks following a mid-season blip, but after crashing out of the Champions League their only hope of silverware comes in the FA Cup. Boss Pep Guardiola was brought to the club to make them a dominant force on the continent, though right now he is facing a battle to merely get them into Europe next season.
Domestically they may be back on track, not tasting defeat since a 4-0 hammering at the hands of Everton in mid-January, but that loss to Monaco will be tough to get out of the system; a topsy-turvy last-16 tie being edge by the free-scoring French side on away goals following a 6-6 draw. The question now being is asked is what exactly constitutes as a good first season for Guardiola in English football? The title is surely out of the question, with the margin on leaders Chelsea currently 13 points, but silverware in the FA Cup and a top-four finish would certainly not be a disastrous way for the Catalan to mark his maiden campaign.
City did also drop points in their last league outing, drawing 0-0 with Stoke City here to miss out on the chance of climbing into second place, which is currently occupied by Tottenham Hotspur. Prior to that the Citizens has clocked four wins on the bounce in the top flight, finally clicking back into gear following what had been a rather poor run of form over the previous few months. They are now at a crossroads of sorts as we head into the two-week international break, with results over the next month going a long way to determining whether Guardiola will be left smiling at the end of the first year of a likely three-year project.
Regardless on that stalemate with Stoke in their last league outing, City have certainly been on the up since losing heavily at Goodison Park at the start of the year and have gone six domestic away outings without conceding. There was almost a sense of inevitably about them shipping multiple goals at the Stade Louis II, but Guardiola will be keen to keep things tight at the back once again today prior to a major facelift in the summer when bringing in new defensive options. All eyes will be on the likes of John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi - or any other centre-back combination - as they come up against Liverpool's energetic forward trio.
Guardiola's men have a very tough run of games to come, however, following up today's meeting against top-four rivals Liverpool with games against Arsenal and Chelsea away when club action resumes in a fortnight's time. On top of that, the Citizens also face the Gunners in the last four of the FA Cup - one of two tasty Wembley fixtures, with Chelsea taking on Tottenham in the other semi-final. City may be well placed in the table at the moment in terms of finishing in one of those European qualification berths, but it may be a different case entirely by the time they face Hull City on April 8 following on from those daunting away trips to Arsenal and Chelsea in quick succession.
City have lost five games in the Premier League so far this season, which is the joint-most suffered by Guardiola in a single league campaign. Victory today would bring up their 200th in the Premier League on home soil, while at the same time keeping them hot on the heels of Tottenham, who are cruising to victory over Southampton in the second of today's top-flight fixtures. Plenty left for the Citizens to battle for between now and the end of May, then, with a place in the top four - preferably second - and FA Cup honours on the line.
Only Chelsea are currently enjoying a better run of form than Manchester City, closely followed by Everton, having clocked up four wins and a draw in their last five outings. The Citizens were denied by Stoke City in their last league outing here, however, playing out a bland goalless draw to see their top-four hopes still firmly in the balance heading into three-successive games against fellow heavyweight opposition. The Citizens head into today's match sitting third in the table, one point and one place better off than Liverpool.
City rank fourth in the division for the best defence and are also fourth in terms of attack - a nice balance to have, but ultimately not enough to keep them in touching distance of leaders Chelsea. Liverpool, on the other hand, have an unrivalled 60 goals this term but have been let down at the other end of the field, conceding 35 times at a rate of 1.25 a game to find themselves below eight other teams in that particular category. We could very well see plenty of goals at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon if those stats are anything to go by, so with that in mind let us now turn attention to some confirmed team news that is beginning to filter through.
TEAM NEWS!
MANCHESTER CITY XI: Caballero, Fernandinho, Stones, Otamendi, Clichy, Toure, Sane, De Bruyne, Silva, Sterling, Aguero
LIVERPOOL XI: Mignolet, Clyne, Matip, Klavan, Milner, Can, Wijnaldum, Lallana, Mane, Coutinho, Firmino
Starting with a look at the visiting team, manager Jurgen Klopp has been boosted by the return to fitness of Roberto Firmino. The Brazilian missed last weekend's win over Burnley through injury and has barely trained this week, but he is deemed fit enough to start this match, taking the place of Divock Origi in the only alteration from that 2-1 victory over the Clarets at Anfield. James Milner skippers the Reds this afternoon, meanwhile, as he comes up against his former club.
Dejan Lovren played 75 minutes for the Under-23s last week and is back in the matchday squad today, but Klopp is unwilling to risk him from the off so Joel Matip and Ragnar Klavan retain their spots in the heart of defence. Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge remain absent due to injury problems, though this is still a strong-looking XI named by Klopp that includes the returning Firmino up top. Sadio Mane joins him in the forward line, looking to build on a run that has seen him score three and set up another in his last three Premier League meetings with today's opponents.
Philippe Coutinho is another who appears to love playing against City, having scored four times in five league outings. The Brazilian also found the net in last season's League Cup final between the two sides, so he will certainly be one to watch this afternoon. The midfield three is made up of Adam Lallana, Emre Can and Georginio Wijnaldum once again, with the battle in the middle of the park likely to go a long way to determining the winner of this tough-to-call contest. No real surprise to see Simon Mignolet between the sticks, meanwhile, as he continues to keep summer signing Loris Karius out of the side after battling back from himself being dropped earlier in the campaign.
Switching attention to the hosts now, boss Guardiola has made two alterations from the midweek defeat to AS Monaco in the Champions League. Nicolas Otamendi and Yaya Toure come back into the first-team fold, with Aleksandar Kolarov and Bacary Sagna the men to make way, as Guardiola goes with a likely 4-1-4-1 formation that is spearheaded by Sergio Aguero. The forward has scored in all four previous Premier League meetings with the Reds at this venue, and has six goals and two assists in his last six outings overall for the Citizens.
With Pablo Zabaleta nursing an injury and Sagna being dropped to the bench, versatile ace Fernandinho is expected to drop into right-back, while Gael Clichy keeps his place on the opposite flank. Stones is another to retain his spot in that shaky backline, making his 100th Premier League appearance this afternoon - 23 of those coming in the sky blue of City. The only other notable absentees from the Citizens' squad are Gabriel Jesus and Ilkay Gundogan, who will not feature again this season.
City's forward line has clicked into gear in recent weeks, with Kevin de Bruyne and David Silva playing just off Aguero, while Raheem Sterling - a figure of hate around Anfield - and in-form Leroy Sane will offer support from the wide areas. That does however leave Toure all alone in the engine room, which Liverpool will no doubt look to exploit this afternoon as they fight fire with fire by sticking with three in attack. Elsewhere, Willy Caballero is again given the nod by Guardiola in goal after seemingly losing faith in summer recruit Claudio Bravo.
BENCH WATCH!
MANCHESTER CITY SUBS: Bravo, Sagna, Fernando, Nolito, Kolarov, Iheanacho, A. Garcia
LIVERPOOL SUBS: Karius, Lovren, Lucas, Alexander-Arnold, Woodburn, Origi, Moreno
Lovren back in the Liverpool squad today following a couple of months out through injury, while Ben Woodburn is also in contention on the back of being called up to the senior Wales squad. Origi, the man to make way from last weekend, was doubtful for today's match through illness but is clearly well enough to potentially play some part from the bench. City have plenty of defensive back-ups to call upon, meanwhile, with Kelechi Iheanacho their only real proven attacking option should they require a goal. Bacary Sagna and Aleksandar Kolarov are the two players to drop out of the starting lineup.
Philippe Coutinho has scored four Premier League goals in five previous meetings with Manchester City, while also finding the net in last season's League Cup final between the two sides. The Citizens have a gem of their own up top, however, as Sergio Aguero has netted in all four of his top-flight clashes with the Reds on home soil. One change made by Jurgen Klopp for today's match - Roberto Firmino in for Divock Origi - while opposite number Pep Guardiola brings Yaya Toure and Nicolas Otamendi back into the fold.
Liverpool with a chance to climb into third place this afternoon, then, having managed to get themselves back on track with successive wins. Victory for Man United in the day's early kickoff saw them move into fifth and just three behind the Reds in the race for that final Champions League berth, though it could be the Citizens in more immediate threat of missing out on a place in Europe's showpiece competition next term as they face a daunting run of matches. A draw will likely be welcomed by Klopp this afternoon, but that has not stopped him from sending out an attacking lineup.
The Reds' terrible start to 2017 was well publicised, but they have done very well to just about put it behind them thanks to those wins over Arsenal and Burnley at Anfield over the past two weeks. The victory over the Gunners was almost inevitable, with Klopp's men often coming out on top against the division's heavyweight sides, but beating the Clarets was a real show of character after falling behind early on. They may no longer be in with a shout of winning the title, as they were just a couple of months back, yet this could well be a positive campaign for Liverpool on the whole if they nail down a top-four spot.
Liverpool had previously won two of just 12 games in all competitions, seeing their FA Cup hopes end at the second hurdle and crashing out of the EFL Cup in the same week. It is in the league that they have arguably suffered the most, however, having dropped from second place on New Year's Eve after beating Man City in the reverse fixture down to their current position of fourth. It could have been a lot worse had Arsenal and Man United not stuttered themselves around the same time, with the Reds looking good value to welcome Champions League football back to Anfield next term.
Winning a cup would no doubt have been nice for Klopp in his first full campaign at Anfield, particularly after falling just short in two competitions last season, but it was not to be and now all focus is on the league. More will be expected more term, of course, particularly if the former Borussia Dortmund boss is indeed going to spend in excess of £100m as some reports in the British press have suggested. This squad is not in need of a vast overhaul, but you do get the impression that the Reds are still a few players away from truly challenging at the top - as Klopp learned the hard way during their recent dismal spell of form.
Liverpool still have just the one away win in 2017 - a narrow FA Cup third-round replay victory over fourth-tier Plymouth Argyle at Home Park. They boast the best record in the head-to-head league between the top-six sides in the division, though, going unbeaten in the previous nine and winning five of those - including triumphs over Arsenal and Spurs in recent weeks. Everton are next up for the Reds after the two-week break, but after that they do not face off against any of their direct rivals between now and the end of the season.
DID YOU KNOW? Liverpool have run further than any other side in the Premier League this season, averaging 117.3km per game. Manchester City have the next highest on the list, with 114.8km, which is made all the more impressive when considering that they also had to contend with European football. However, a closer look at things shows that the sides have played a near-identical number of matches this calendar year - 14 for the Reds, compared to 16 for their opponents.
There has been a stop-start feel to City's Premier League campaign in recent weeks, playing just five times in the competition since the turn of the year. It remains to be seen just how much that European loss to Monaco has taken out of them, with that one of two games since they faced off against Stoke in their last league outing - the other being a comfortable 2-0 win over Middlesbrough in the FA Cup. Liverpool have been focused solely on domestic honours all term, meanwhile, but that could well change next term if they can hold on to fourth place in the remaining weeks of the season.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Manchester City have lost five of the last six Premier League meetings between these two sides, including the reverse fixture which finished 1-0 at Anfield on New Year's Eve - a result that took Liverpool into second place and hot on the heels of Chelsea. The Citizens have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of the last 12 encounters, meanwhile, with a 4-1 reverse here last season proving to be the Reds' only triumph at the Etihad Stadium in their last seven attempts. No side has ever previously achieved a top-flight double over Pep Guardiola, so a chance for some history today.
With kickoff at the Etihad Stadium now a little over five minutes away, let us turn attention to some pre-match thoughts from both camps.
Pep Guardiola: "I have heard people have written that I will change 12 or 13 players [this summer]. That is impossible. They have contracts. You have to pay them. We will try and improve the team. Next month and a half I expect a huge step forward. Next season will be better."
Jurgen Klopp: "I am not in doubt about [Guardiola's] quality. Maybe a few people are but I am not. I respect him a lot. I know probably a few people think differently now they are out of the Champions League but I think the way they played was quite impressive as Monaco."
Guardiola refuted reports that he will completely overhaul his squad in the summer, with as many as 13 players said to be fighting for their future at the club. "Next season will be better", the Catalan predicts, though this campaign could still finish on a high if City earn a top-four spot and lift the FA Cup - it is tough in this day and age to work out which of those achievements will be celebrated more. Klopp full of praise for the man he is coming up against this afternoon, meanwhile, claiming that they were unfortunate to taste defeat to Monaco in midweek.
Kickoff at the Etihad Stadium is now just a couple of moments away, with both sets of players now out on the field of play. A quick reminder of the teams for you: Two changes made by Manchester City, who have Nicolas Otamendi and Yaya Toure back in their starting lineup today, while Liverpool bring in Roberto Firmino for Divock Origi. A chance for the Reds to climb into third place this afternoon as they take on the side directly above them in the table.
KICKOFF! We are under way at the Etihad Stadium, where Man City have made a real bright start. The hosts got straight at their opponents and sent a cross into the box from the right, which Klavan got to first.
A penalty shout for the Reds, as Toure wraps his legs around Lallana inside the area to get to the ball. The Ivorian made very little contact with his opponent, though, so referee Michael Oliver got that one correct.
De Bruyne delays slipping the ball through for Sane just a fraction too long, with the offside flag going up. Sane didn't realise and still fired across goal, which Mignolet was equal to for an early feel of the ball.
It has certainly been a lively start at the Etihad Stadium, albeit with neither keeper yet being truly tested. Both teams pretty much going all-out attack in search of an opener, which hopefully means a game containing plenty of goals!
Liverpool pressing high in an attempt to thwart City, but the Citizens are finding one or two gaps at the moment. De Bruyne fizzes a cross into the box for Mignolet to parry behind, with the subsequent corner coming to little.
City the side on top in the opening 11 minutes or so of the match, constantly finding gaps high up the pitch. Just need to improve the quality of the final ball, with crosses currently coming into the box from both flanks.
PENALTY APPEAL! City's turn to appeal for a penalty, as Aguero is held back by Matip when attempting to get on the end of Sterling's cross from the right. Seen them given in the past, but Michael Oliver opted to wave play on.
YELLOW CARD! The first card of the afternoon is shown to Firmino, who lunged in on Silva and got very little of the ball in the process. Guardiola not happy with that challenge - a caution the right call from Michael Oliver.
CHANCE! Glorious chance for Silva to open the scoring. Sterling plays Sane in down the left and sees his cross blocked only as far as Silva, who sent the half-volleyed follow-up attempt spinning inches past the post.
YELLOW CARD! A second booking in the space of four minutes, this time shown to Toure for a challenge on Can. The City midfielder followed through with his tackle and caught his opponent in the chest with his studs - a real nasty one.
CHANCE! City very much the better of the two teams in the opening quarter of the match, but Liverpool have fashioned a glorious opening of their own. Mane used his pace to burst through on goal but, under pressure from Otamendi, he failed to properly connect with his shot when one-on-one.
Mane felt that he was fouled by Otamendi when pulling the trigger for that previous chance, but replays show that the referee - again - just about got it right by turning down his appeals. That's now three pen shouts in the opening 23 minutes!
Sane with a teasing ball into a dangerous position, which Milner did well to get to first. Sterling was waiting to pounce behind him at the back post, but Aguero maybe could have gambled had he read the move.
A fourth penalty appeal in this explosive first half at The Etihad! Wijnaldum felt that he was grappled to the ground inside the box by Toure, but he appeared to be off balance and going to ground even without the contact.
Liverpool certainly growing more into the match over the past five minutes or so, having been second best in the opening quarter of the match. One big chance apiece so far - Silva sending the ball wide at one end and Mane being denied when through on goal at the other.
Things have quietened down a little now, but it is still very gripping. Liverpool have seen 56% of the ball over the past 10 minutes, though it is City who are asking more of the attacking questions at the moment.
SHOT! Klavan so very nearly caught on the ball by Aguero, but the centre-back just about got away with it as he played it back to Mignolet. Liverpool work the ball forward to Coutinho, who cuts on to his right and curls one over the bar.
City becoming more and more frustrated now, as Clyne's charge down the flank is blocked off by De Bruyne for another free kick. Stand-in skipper Milner sent the ball towards the back post, where Matip directed the ball wide.
The opening 37 minutes of this contest have flown by, with still little to choose between the two sides. It may be goalless but is certainly has not been boring; both teams fashioning openings which they were ultimately unable to take.
CHANCE! Unbelievable! Silva squares the ball to Sterling, who looked to have the simple task of tapping it over the line from two yards out. Milner must have got a touch because the City winger failed to make contact, while Fernandinho picked out the side-netting when sliding in for the rebound.
SAVES! Moments after surviving that big scare, Liverpool enjoy their best spell of the match. Firmino cuts inside and looks for the far corner, only to be denied by a sprawling Caballero, while Lallana's strike was helped over in the next phase of play.
YELLOW CARD! Matip goes in hard on Aguero and is shown the third yellow card of this entertaining first half. Both teams will feel that they deserve to be ahead, but it looks likely to be all square at the break.
Sane with another teasing cross in the direction of Sterling, which Mignolet reads well to cut out. City win a free kick and sent it into the mixer, but Firmino got his head to the ball first to clear away. Two minutes of added time to come.
HALF TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 0-0 LIVERPOOL
A lively opening 45 minutes comes to an end at the Etihad Stadium, with Manchester City and Liverpool locked at 0-0. Plenty of openings at both ends of the field, but it is the hosts who have the stronger argument for warranting a lead at this midway point.
Liverpool had three penalty appeals turned down in a lively first half, but it was City who arguably had the biggest shout of the lot when Sergio Aguero was held back by Joel Matip inside the area. The first big chance of the afternoon fell the way of David Silva, who could only direct his half-volley wide of the target after getting on the end of a loose ball in the box.
Liverpool fashioned a glorious opening of their own soon after, though, as Sadio Mane used his pace to get in behind but failed to beat Wilfredo Caballero under pressure from Nicolas Otamendi. Man City really should have opened the scoring 37 minutes in following some nice interplay that saw David Silva slipped through, with the Spaniard looking up and squaring it to Raheem Sterling in front of goal. The former Liverpool product failed to connect with the ball from just a couple of yards out, however, with James Milner doing enough to put him off.
Fernandinho was unable to covert from the follow-up attempt, instead picking out the side-netting, and just a couple of minutes later it was Liverpool's turn to turn up the pressure. Robert Firmino almost marked his return to the starting lineup with a goal, cutting inside and forcing a sprawling stop out of Caballero, before Adam Lallana's well-struck effort was helped over the bar.
Plenty of action in the opening 45 minutes, then, but will we see either manager turn to their bench at the interval? Liverpool have Woodburn and Origi among their options, while Manchester City could potentially turn to Kelechi Iheanacho.
MANCHESTER CITY SUBS: Bravo, Sagna, Fernando, Nolito, Kolarov, Iheanacho, A. Garcia
LIVERPOOL SUBS: Karius, Lovren, Lucas, Alexander-Arnold, Woodburn, Origi, Moreno
RESTART! We are back up and running at the Etihad Stadium, where both sides remain unchanged for the start of this second half. Fingers crossed for a goal or two in the remaining 45 minutes of this clash between two of the division's heavyweights!
Lallana does well to pick out Mane pretty much unmarked inside the area, but the forward's shot was deflected over the bar from 10 yards out. Fatigue may well play a big part in this second half, with City having far less recovery time for this game.
PENALTY TO LIVERPOOL! Firmino brings down Can's long ball over the top but, before being able to get a shot away, Clichy stopped him in his tracks with a foot across the chest. Penalty to Liverpool and a yellow shown to Clichy.
GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 0-1 LIVERPOOL (JAMES MILNER, PEN)
Milner makes no mistake from the spot, sending Caballero the wrong way and picking out the bottom corner to open the scoring. Debate over whether that should have been a penalty, but the bottom line is Clichy bundled into Firmino - you cannot do that.
A yellow card was shown to Silva for his protestations in the aftermath of that Milner pen, meaning that five players how now been cautioned. Would not be surprised to see a red at this rate in a game that is threatening to boil over.
Still plenty of time remaining for City to bag a couple of goals, but this is panning out perfectly for Liverpool who just love counter-attacking. The Citizens have failed to really create anything since the restart.
Liverpool looking very sharp with their interplay in the attacking third, which is maybe down to their week-long rest since their last outing. Guardiola may have to turn to his bench soon, with his side struggling to find their rhythm.
CHANCE! Sterling charges through but loses his balance inside the area. Liverpool quickly break and it is another one-on-one chance - this time for Firmino, who was denied by Caballero like Mane was in the first half.
The Reds really enjoying themselves at the moment, and Guardiola is now preparing to make a change or two. So much space for the visitors to exploit on the counter, knowing that a second may be required to seal the win.
MANCHESTER CITY SUB! Toure is a little groggy so it is no real surprise to see him make way. Sagna is on in his place, meaning Fernandinho will move into central midfield. Aguero nearly played through when play resumed but he was ushered off the ball.
City create their best opening of the second half, as a floated Silva ball is met by Aguero at the back post. Not sure if the striker was going for goal or looking to pick out a teammate, but in the end he did neither.
GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 1-1 LIVERPOOL (SERGIO AGUERO)
Aguero continues his impressive goalscoring record against Liverpool, tucking the ball home to make it five goals in five meetings with them here. This one was all about the delivery from De Bruyne, who sent in a perfect cross from the right that Aguero was always going to convert.
LIVERPOOL SUB! Real panic at the back for City, as Liverpool look to work a shooting position inside the area. Firmino eventually takes it on from an angle, picking out the side-netting with his drive. Coutinho makes way for Origi.
Now into the final 16 minutes of the contest and there is very little between the teams. It has been a gripping contest throughout and that still remains the case, with both teams desperate for the win rather than settling for a point.
OFF THE POST! Carnage in the Liverpool box! Aguero looked destined to fire home with the ball at his feet inside the box, but he lost his balance when about to pull the trigger. De Bruyne was on the loose ball, sending a shot against the post.
CHANCE! Yet another glorious chance goes begging - this time Liverpool who are made to rue their luck. Firmino squared the ball to Lallana, who just had to convert from five yards out, but he took his eye off the ball and failed to connect.
CHANCE! Cannot take your eyes off this one! Sterling lifts the ball over Mignolet but it trickles wide of the post. Liverpool break in numbers, though Firmino blasts wide when he had Lallana better placed alongside him.
MANCHESTER CITY SUB! Fernando comes on for Leroy Sane to give City some added midfield strength. They are being overrun too often for Guardiola's liking, so that is a sensible change to make heading into the final throes.
Just relentless at the moment as both teams go all out for the win. Six minutes to go, plus three or four added on, so plenty of time for one of these sides to grab a late third of the evening. Could be pivotal in that race for the top four.
Aguero is picked out at the front post but cannot quite turn the ball on target. It is a position he has scored countless times from before, though not on this occasion as another half-chance goes begging for the hosts.
YELLOW CARD! Mane goes in from behind on Silva and is rightly cautioned. The stoppage in play allows Liverpool to bring Lucas on for Firmino for these closing few minutes of a breathless Premier League affair.
CHANCE! We are now into the first of four added minutes at the Etihad Stadium. Mane is almost played through on goal, but his energy levels have dropped and he gives up on the chase. Cue City putting together a strong attack, which ends with Aguero volleying high when unmarked at the back post.
Even now, with just 120 seconds left to play, you would not bet against one of these sides finding a winner. It is the Citizens who look the more likely at the moment, throwing all they have at their opponents.
FULL TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 1-1 LIVERPOOL
Referee Michael Oliver blows for full time, bringing an end to an entertaining game of football at the Etihad Stadium. Both teams will argue that they deserved all three points, so let's just agree that a draw was actually the right outcome! Sergio Aguero cancelled out James Milner's penalty, before squandering the best of the remaining chances late on when skying his volley.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events at the Etihad Stadium. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while reaction aplenty will be available to view elsewhere on the site in the next 30 minutes or so. Thanks for joining!
