Liverpool reached the last eight of the FA Cup with a quality performance
which very much keeps alive their dreams of a cup treble.
Unless Gerard Houllier's side make a real mess of Thursday's UEFA Cup second
leg at home to Roma they will be in two cup quarter-finals as they go into next
Sunday's Worthington Cup final in Cardiff against Birmingham.
Manchester City gave every last ounce of effort and sheer bravery and were
more than a little upset by two penalties awarded by referee Graham Poll.
But in reality there was only going to be one winner from the opening minutes
when Liverpool stormed into a two-goal lead.
Three days earlier they had destroyed the might of Italy with a fine win over
Roma and City were not going to be given the chance of producing a very English
upset.
It was not a vintage Liverpool display, just a powerful, competent one and
enough to break City's hearts, if not their resolve.
If they are honest City will know that the skills of Vladimir Smicer, Jari
Litmanen and Emile Heskey were a bridge to far for them.
City are now left with a bitter relegation fight but if they maintain this
level of team spirit, effort and commitment they might just avoid the drop. Only
time will tell.
But when you go to Anfield with Liverpool in their current mood and without 10
cup-tied, suspended or injured players you can do without conceding two inside
the first 12 minutes. But that is how the cards were dealt.
A sixth-minute penalty, whatever the 6,000 visiting fans behind Nicky Weaver's
goal felt, was just a sample of what was to come.
City had been caught cold upfield after one of their own corners when Danny
Granville's long-range shot was blocked.
The ball bounced out to Litmanen, who with Smicer alongside him sped away
against an undermanned defence.
Litmanen slipped the ball to Smicer, who cut into the box and went down under
Weaver's challenge. Referee Poll took a tumble and gave the spot-kick
while still on the deck.
Amusing, but not for City who claimed there had been no contact.
From the television replays, what little contact there was looked more like
Smicer stepping on Weaver's hand, but that did not stop Litmanen stepping up to
drill home.
Even though City were trying to go forward it was the quality of defending -
which had been superb in Rome - plus better passing and quicker reactions that
made Liverpool so awesome when in possession.
Six minutes later they were two up. Gerard Wiekens lost possession in
midfield, Litmanen found Emile Heskey a yard off the shoulder of Spencer Prior
and the big England man motored into the box to flash in a clinical low drive.
Liverpool were able to rest several of the players who had served them so well
in Rome. Two-goal star Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler and Nicky Barmby all sat on
the bench, while Gary McAllister was given the day off completely.
But when you can bring back a fit-again Heskey plus Smicer, Litmanen and Igor
Biscan there is plenty of ammunition at Houllier's disposal to handle domestic
cup ties.
City, looking outclassed, can never be accused of not giving their all.
They came back at Liverpool with a string of set-plays and commendable
endeavour, even if when the Anfield men sprung their creative stuff at high
speed you wondered how long City would last before falling further behind.
But the visitors were rewarded for their hard work with a fine goal from
Andrei Kanchelskis on 29 minutes.
Danny Tiatto's corner sailed in from the left to find the well-travelled
Ukrainian on the far edge of the box.
The ex-Manchester United, Everton and Rangers winger took one touch and lashed
a swerving low drive which sped through a crowd of players before finding the
net via Sander Westerveld's post.
City did what they do best, hit it long or wide and put the pressure on in the
air, while Liverpool maintained composure, drew them on and tried to hit the
visitors on the break.
But Liverpool do not like City's style. It unnerves them. It did so when they
lost a 2-0 lead at Anfield back in September before winning 3-2 and the same
happened last month when City grabbed a 1-1 draw after another physical showdown
at Maine Road.
But these days Liverpool have at least learned to do the mucky jobs in
defence, the covering and scrapping - the competing which makes up so much of
what City can offer.
Litmanen was replaced at the break by Barmby and Liverpool turned on the power
to bring City's resistance to an end.
Again they struck early and again it came from the penalty spot two minutes
into the second period.
It was Weaver on Smicer once more and this time there was little doubt as the
Czech was sent crashing as he ran onto a Christian Ziege pass.
Smicer drove home the spot-kick himself but you were left wondering how Weaver
had not at least been booked for either of the penalties he conceded.
Tony Grant took over from the flagging Andy Morrison, City adopting a back
four.
Alfie Haaland did managed to pull a 67th-minute ball back from the byline for
the industrious Darren Huckerby to blast inches over on the turn, but by then it
was over bar the shouting.
Huckerby and Tiatto maintained their level of running but it was an
increasingly over-worked City backline which was struggling to contain Heskey,
the craft of Smicer and the strength of Biscan and Dietmar Hamann.
City still kept trying but Liverpool's defending, although not needing to be
on the level of their heroics in the Stadio Olympico, remained composed and
controlled.
Liverpool were still playing some wonderful stuff going forward and on 75
minutes Barmby's cross from the right was met with immense power by Smicer on
the edge of the box but his stunning shot was brilliantly turned over by
Weaver.
Even Smicer clapped along with the Kop. It was his last involvement as he was
replaced by Owen, which must have been a chilling sight for a City side
constantly in danger of being unhinged on the break.
Then with six minutes left Fowler was sent into the fray to replace Heskey as
Houllier rotated all four of his striking stars in the same match.
A minute later Liverpool grabbed their fourth goal. Danny Granville was
penalised out on the right and Ziege's free-kick to the near post was flicked
home by Markus Babbel.
But even then City would not jack it in. Shaun Goater lashed home Huckerby's
cross in the 89th minute to give the City fans something to sing about, while
Liverpool's just chanted about going to Cardiff twice.
Teams:
Liverpool: Westerveld, Henchoz, Hyypia, Carragher, Biscan,
Babbel, Ziege, Litmanen (Barmby 45), Hamann,
Heskey (Fowler 85), Smicer (Owen 76).
Subs Not Used: Arphexad, Vignal.
Goals: Litmanen 7 pen, Heskey 13, Smicer 54 pen, Babbel 85.
Man City: Weaver, Wiekens, Morrison (Grant 60), Prior, Dunne,
Tiatto, Granville, Kanchelskis, Haaland, Huckerby, Goater.
Subs Not Used: McKinney, Edghill, Taylor, Wright-Phillips.
Booked: Haaland.
Goals: Kanchelskis 29, Goater 90.
Att: 36,231
Ref: G Poll (Tring).
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