City 0 Liverpool 0

A nil-nil scoreline was all these sides could muster in what was a controlled but professional performance by both teams if not the referee who let a series of challenges go unpunished setting the tone for the game.

With a place in the top four the ultimate prize for both sides this year it was understandable that the fourth and fifth sides would be playing it safe.

The pre-match talk was of a derby style battle, but it was clear from the first ten minutes that there would be no excitement just for entertainment value.

Both sides had a penalty shout that could have settled this bore-fest but luckily both were turned down by the referee.

The first half was a tight affair with very few chances created. Gerrard saw a shot saved by Given and the lively Zabaleta a deflected drive go wide of the Liverpool goal.

Of the two keepers you would have to say Pepe Reina was the busier of the two making the outstanding save of the match diving low to his right hand post to keep out a rasping Adebayor volley.

Given on the other hand was pressured at close quarters on corners more than anything else with the Liverpool defenders tasked with pressuring the only weak area of the big Irish man's game.

The second half didn't get any better with both sets of players guilty of giving the ball away so many times that one could be forgiven for thinking they'd had a wager to see who could do it the most.

Just when City were looking set to edge the wager Liverpool upped the ante by deciding to run into team mates in an attempt to claim some bonus points .

Captain Gerrard and Insua at one point bamboozled the crowd with a double dummy that ended in them doing the hokey-cokey before man of the match Zabaleta decided enough was enough in making off with the ball.

Although there were no controversial decisions, the main influence on the game was referee Peter Walton who had chosen to let the game flow from the offset.

The result was a goalless stalemate as both defences were given the benefit of the doubt time and time again much to the frustration of the watching fans.

It is strange that Liverpool picked up as many yellows as they did as the game was allowed to flow and both sides showed respect for one another.

Perhaps there we to many friends on the pitch as Argentinians, Dutch and English Internationals played with passion, but didn't exactly try to get one another sent off.

One player who could have been sent off though was Liverpool's Macherano who after  series of challenges picked up a yellow and foolishly decided to slide in on Barry from behind.

The referee waved played on however and just when City fans were beginning to believe they deserved to win the game, Kompany's tired challenge on Benayoun in the penalty area was ignored as the Israeli foolishly decided to stay on his feet.

A draw doesn't do anything in the race for the final Champions' League spot, but neither side can truly say that they did enough to win this cagey encounter.