For Manchester City, league gloom deepens. The last time Kevin Keegan's side won a Premiership match they still had aspirations of reaching the Champions League. Beaten narrowly here some 102 days later, they face the growing threat of a return to the Nationwide League. Whereas Liverpool have squeezed unconvincingly into the coveted fourth place ahead of Newcastle on goals scored, City teeter three points from the cut-off. This is already their worst league sequence since the relegation season of 1986-87 and, with Bolton, Chelsea and Manchester United to come, they are in danger of equalling their worst ever run of 17 without a win 24 years ago. The table, however, confirms there are. For all that City might have pinched a point here late on, Antoine Sibierski nodding over from close range, they did not deserve it. Shaun Wright-Phillips alone carried a threat, marauding forward to offer consolation for the humdrum stuff around him. That mishmash included the former Anfield favourites Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman, too often marooned on the periphery. Instead Liverpool prevailed. Previously without a league win in a month themselves, Gérard Houllier's side have reached the top four for the first time this term, though the old inadequacies remain. Too often they roar into an early ascendancy only to stall when they are expected to steamroller on. This contest should have been settled in the opening 20 minutes; instead, in its spluttering mediocrity, it remained on edge.
Dominic Fifield, The Guardian
Gerrard and Owen show City door marked exit
It was not the night that Kevin Keegan will have wanted Michael Owen to rediscover the art of scoring goals, but by this morning the Manchester City manager will have far deeper concerns to ponder than the basics of this defeat. The records tell us that 14 Premiership games without a win is the club's worst sequence for 17 years and for the boss that spells trouble. The glow of that tumultuous comeback against Tottenham in the FA Cup has been buried beneath the deathly boredom of Sunday's goalless draw with Birmingham City and this result that confirms City's status as below that of the contenders for European places. When Billy McNeill and Jimmy Frizzell took City on a 14-game run without victory in 1987, they also took City down.
Sam Wallace, Daily Telegraph
Keegan's misery continues after Owen recaptures finishing touch
One drought was always likely to come to an end last night and no prizes for guessing that it was Michael Owen who quenched his thirst rather than Manchester City. The Liverpool and England forward’s previous goal was even farther back in time than City’s last Barclaycard Premiership victory, but, after more than three months, he was back in business, while Kevin Keegan’s travails go on. City’s run of 14 league games without a win is breaking records on a weekly basis, but, strangely, there is still no sense that they are in real danger. They remain three points clear of the bottom three and the raucous travelling fans cheered their team right to the end. If anything, the pressure seemed to be more on Gérard Houllier and the home supporters were far from convinced by a scrappy victory. Now that all the Liverpool manager’s best players are back from injury, they expect more from the side. Steven Gerrard’s winner secured the coveted fourth place in the table for the first time this season, but Houllier was jeered for throwing on defenders to protect a fragile lead in the closing stages.
Matt Dickinson, The Times
Gerrard forces City back to the drawing board
Graeme Souness, the Blackburn Rovers manager, recently mused that his under-performing players might not respond to their poor run of results until their League position became critical. The same could be said for Kevin Keegan and Manchester City. With a formidable run of fixtures ahead of them that includes games against the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United, they are in grave danger of slipping into the bottom three. This defeat, the 14th consecutive Premiership match they have failed to win, leaves them just three points ahead of Leicester City in the final relegation place. Meanwhile Liverpool moved into the fourth Champions' League place for the first time this season - on goals scored - but this unconvincing victory gave no indication of better times ahead, with their inspirational captain, Steven Gerrard, the only shining light.
Dan Murphy, The Independent
