How It Happened: Manchester City 1-1 Liverpool

Welcome to Nigerianeye's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Manchester City and Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium.


The Reds have managed to get their campaign back on track over the past fortnight, picking up back-to-back wins on home soil to hold down a spot in the top four.

City, who have lost five of the last six league meetings between these two sides, are currently one point better off in third place and could take a huge step to securing Champions League football next season with a win today.

Follow all of the action as it unfolds with our extensive updates below.

OFFICIAL LINE-UPS

MANCHESTER CITY: Caballero, Fernandinho, Stones, Otamendi, Clichy, Toure, Sane, De Bruyne, Silva, Sterling, Aguero
MANCHESTER CITY SUBS: Bravo, Sagna, Fernando, Nolito, Kolarov, Iheanacho, A. Garcia

LIVERPOOL: Mignolet, Clyne, Matip, Klavan, Milner, Can, Wijnaldum, Lallana, Mane, Coutinho, Firmino
LIVERPOOL SUBS: Karius, Lovren, Lucas, Alexander-Arnold, Woodburn, Origi, Moreno




















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. Thanks for joining our live coverage of the match!



90+4 min FULL TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 1-1 LIVERPOOL

90+2 min 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.

90 min 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.

88 min 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.

86 min 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.

84 min 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.

82 min 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.

80 min 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.

78 min 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.

76 min 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.

74 min 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.

72 min 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. That was his final act - Origi coming on in his place.

70 min 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.

69 min GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 1-1 LIVERPOOL (SERGIO AGUERO)

67 min 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.

65 min 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.

63 min 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.

61 min 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.

59 min 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.

57 min 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.

55 min 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.

53 min 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.

52 min GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 0-1 LIVERPOOL (JAMES MILNER, PEN)

50 min 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.

48 min 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.

46 min 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!

  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.


45+2 min HALF TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 0-0 LIVERPOOL

45 min 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.

43 min 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.

41 min 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.

39 min 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.

37 min 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.

35 minCity 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.

33 minSHOT! 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.

31 minThings 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.

29 minLiverpool 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.

27 minA 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.

25 minSane 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.

23 minMane 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!

21 minCHANCE! City very much the better of the two teams in the opening quarter of the match, but Liverpool has 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.

19 minYELLOW 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.

17 minCHANCE! 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.

15 minYELLOW CARD! The first card of the afternoon is shown to Firmino, who lunged in on Silva and got very little of the ball. Guardiola not happy with that challenge - a caution the right call from Michael Oliver.

13 minPENALTY 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.

11 minCity 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.

9 minLiverpool 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.

7 minIt 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!

5 minDe 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.

3 minA 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.

1 minKICKOFF! 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.