LIVERPOOL 1 CITY 0
4th May 2008
Attendance 43,074
Scorer Torres(58)
ref M Halsey
City Hart, Jihai, Dunne, Corluka, Ball, Johnson, Ireland, Petrov, Vassell, Elano, Benjani – subs Castillo(67), Hamann(67), Garrido(81) Isaksson(Unused), Fernandes(Unused)
Liverpool Reina, Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Insua, Mascherano, Lucas, Kuyt, Babel, Gerrard, Torres – used subs Alonso(74), Benayoun(68), Voronin (78)
City waved goodbye to hopes of an automatic European spot via UEFA Cup and Intertoto qualification with a lacklustre display at Anfield, matched only by the hosts’ flat performance. Definitely a game the cameras should have avoided, there was little to excite either set of supporters, though the City travelling faithful were in fine voice all game, despite seeing little in the way of goal-mouth action. The Blues contested an even first-half well, but never looked like scoring and it wasn’t until Steven Gerrard curled a shot goalwards on 38 minutes that the home crowd really stirred. Thankfully, Joe Hart was equal to the task and he managed to tip the ball around the post to show why he’s tipped to be the future England No.1 for many years to come. Liverpool looked much livelier after the break, putting City on the back foot almost from the word go, but it was Elano who came closest to opening the scoring with a freekick that rattled a post. Within a few minutes, Liverpool had scored, with the impressive Fern ndo Torres holding off Richard Dunne’s challenge to fire a shot through Hart’s legs for the only goal of the game. Despite more than half an hour remaining, the Blues couldn’t muster up any clear-cut chances and only a succession of top class saves from manof-the-match Hart kept the score respectable. ADAPTED FROM THE CITY MAGAZINE JUNE 2008
