Premier League: Liverpool 1 Manchester City 1

Manchester City remain unbeaten in the Premier League but were given a stern examination in a 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Anfield.

City took the lead through Vincent Kompany in the first half as the captain headed in from a corner, but were quickly pegged back by a deflected Charlie Adam shot.

Liverpool were on the front foot for much of the second half, with City keeper Joe Hart in top form to deny Luis Suarez, Andy Carroll and others after substitute Mario Balotelli was sent off after picking up two bookings in his 18 minutes on the pitch.

The result means City retain their five-point lead that they came into the weekend with, but could not capitalise on Manchester United’s dropped points on Saturday, while Liverpool move up into sixth position.

Liverpool’s Craig Bellamy withdrew from the line-up following the death of his friend and former team-mate, Wales manager Gary Speed.

The match started at a frenetic pace in the opening 10 minutes, though little came in the way of true chances.

The first real moment of danger came when Jose Enrique attempted a back-pass to Pepe Reina that was seriously lacking in power.

The pass was pounced on by Sergio Aguero, but as he got to the ball he was met with a sliding tackle from Reina. The ball did hit the keeper’s hand, but only after it had rebounded off Aguero, and he certainly could not have done anything to get out of the way.

Aguero was in again after 20 minutes when Adam was dispossessed by Gareth Barry. Adam was adjudged to have gone down too softly by referee Martin Atkinson.

As City broke, Aguero was turning this way and that, but as he got to the byline he lost his footing and the ball slid out for a goal-kick.

While there had not been too much in the way of true efforts on goal, City were having more than their fair share of corners, and one of these led to the opening goal.

It was a fiercely whipped in corner from one of the form players in the Premier League, David Silva.

Kompany beat both of his markers to the ball, and somehow managed to find the back of the net after the ball cannoned of his shoulder and into the far corner.

But it only took Liverpool a matter of seconds to restore parity.

Adam found himself some way out in plenty of space, and with nothing else really on, he elected for a shot which he had dragged quite badly.

It was heading well wide until the intervention of Joleon Lescott, who unwittingly deflected the ball past Hart and into the back of the net.

The match up until this point had been tense, but was somewhat lacking in intensity and chances, but after the equaliser the game really seemed to have the potential to become an epic.

Liverpool took their turn to attack after the break and had penalty shouts turned down after Adam’s shot was charged down by Micah Richards.

With three quarters of the game gone, Hart was called into action again, pushing over a Downing volley which had been struck into the floor but was heading into the top corner.

With just over 15 minutes to go, Liverpool came about as close as you can without scoring. Suarez picked up a corner that had drifted over before turning Gael Clichy and firing the ball across from the byline.

The ball struck Lescott, and ricocheted onto Dirk Kuyt’s chest, but this time the defender was in luck as the ball bounced out for a goal-kick.

The home side were certainly looking the most likely to find a winner as the match drew towards the final stages, with the home crowd willing the ball into the net.

And with the match finely poised as it was, City manager Roberto Mancini would have been hoping that his players would keep a cool head.

But Balotelli received his marching orders in the 83rd minute, having only been on the pitch for 18 of those. The Italian picked up two quick bookings, one for a needless tug on Glen Johnson, and a second for an elbow to Martin Skrtel’s head.

In the closing stages Hart made a good stop from Suarez at his near-post before City broke through substitute Edin Dzeko.

Dzeko found an unmarked Silva in the centre, but the Spaniard was tied up by his countryman Reina with Skrtel getting back on the line to clear the eventual shot.

In the last action of the match, Hart was at full stretch to fabulously deny Carroll from a header that surely would have earned the hosts all three points, but the visitors maintained their unbeaten start to the season.