Anfield draw satisfies Mancini

MANCHESTER City boss Roberto Mancini remained happy with his team’s position despite seeing them drop points for only the second time this season.

The Barclays Premier League leaders were forced to settle for a 1–1 draw at Liverpool after striker Mario Balotelli was sent off for two bookable offences.

The result was still enough to restore City’s five–point advantage at the top, and Mancini felt his players had survived a stern test of their credentials.

Mancini was also pleased with the character shown by his players after their shattering Champions League loss to Napoli on Tuesday.

“I think all the players played very well because after Naples it was really difficult. Also the Liverpool players were more fresh than us,” said the manager.

City went ahead after 31 minutes at Anfield when captain Vincent Kompany’s glancing header from a David Silva corner flew in at the far post.

Yet the visitors had little time to celebrate as a long–range Charlie Adam shot took a huge deflection off Joleon Lescott to wrong–foot Joe Hart and level the scores just two minutes later.

Both sides had further chances, but Liverpool began to claim the upper hand in the second half and finished strongly after Balotelli’s dismissal.

It needed excellent saves from Hart to deny Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll in the final minutes to preserve City’s point, although Silva also had a late chance for Mancini’s men.

Balotelli, introduced as a 65th–minute substitute, had been on the field just 11 minutes when he needlessly brought down Glen Johnson to earn his first yellow card.

He received his second seven minutes later when he was deemed to have caught Martin Skrtel with his arm.