Liverpool 2 - 2 Manchester City

Benayoun goal snatches draw

Liverpool proved they are not ready to be replaced in the top flight elite by Manchester City just yet as Yossi Benayoun's equaliser secured a draw at Anfield.

Mark Hughes' men from Eastlands arrived on Merseyside intent on proving they were top four material but they found a Liverpool side in defiant mood despite more injury problems.

Martin Skrtel put Liverpool in front but Emmanuel Adebayor and Stephen Ireland sent City ahead before Benayoun equalised.

Despite the furore over Liverpool's use of a Belgrade clinic to get players fit for a key week of vital matches in Europe and the Premier League, all four of the men sent to Serbia for treatment failed to make the starting line-up.

Glen Johnson was not even on the bench, where Benayoun, Albert Riera and Fabio Aurelio were initially named.

Liverpool had Steven Gerrard, Ryan Babel and Jamie Carragher, the latter after a ban, returning from the side that drew with Birmingham last time out.

Manchester City made one change from the side that were held at home by Burnley last time out, Nigel De Jong coming into the side in place of Carlos Tevez, who was a substitute.