Manchester City holds Liverpool to a 1-1 draw

Man City hand arch rivals Man United significant advantage by holding Liverpool to a 1-1 draw

Man City hand arch rivals Man United significant advantage by holding Liverpool to a 1-1 draw

Manchester City handed arch rivals Manchester United a significant advantage in the Premier League title race after earning a 1-1 draw at Liverpool yesterday.

Liverpool's Yossi Benayoun (right) slugs it out with Manchester City's Nedum Onuoha during their English Premier League match at Anfield in Liverpool yesterday. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. pic/AP

Liverpool could have closed the gap on league leaders United to five points with a victory over City at Anfield, but instead they needed Dirk Kuyt's late equaliser to rescue a draw that left them seven points adrift of Alex Ferguson's champions.

Worse
A day that started with the news that Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is still refusing to sign a new contract got even worse in the 51st minute when Alvaro Arbeloa deflected Craig Bellamy's shot into his own net. Kuyt at least stopped Liverpool suffering their first home defeat when he poked home from close-range in the 78th minute.

Benitez insisted Liverpool can still catch United but even he was forced to concede the task is a lot harder now.

"I have confidence that we can still win it, but we must win our next two league games against Middlesbrough and Sunderland and then win against Manchester United at Old Trafford," Benitez said.

"Then we may have a different situation. But I just accept that this has been a bad result and it makes it more difficult for us to win the title.

"We clearly have to win our games and see where that takes us. And clearly, Manchester United are playing well and winning games."

Elsewhere yesterday, Newcastle held on for a 0-0 draw at home to Everton despite playing the entire second half with 10 men after Kevin Nolan's dismissal.

The hosts were reduced to 10 men in the 44th minute when Nolan launched into an ugly studs-up lunge on Everton striker Victor Anichebe, leaving referee Lee Mason with no option but to show a red card to the midfielder. But Everton, who had Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta stretchered off in the first half, lacked the cutting edge required to prise open Newcastle's defence.

A point was a good result for both sides though as it moved Newcastle five points clear of the relegation zone and cemented Everton's position in sixth place.