Jovetic brace exposes Liverpool limitations

Two points were all that stood between Liverpool at the Premier League title last season, but the Merseyside club may find knocking off Manchester City’s crown an altogether more difficult prospect.

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard’s now infamous call to “go again” in the run-in last season was used in the phoney war of pre-season as a soundbite to drive his team-mates towards the Holy Grail in this campaign.

But even after two games, and with the season still very much in its infancy, it’s tough to see how Brendan Rodgers’ side can go one better than last time around.

This contest simply reinforced the idea City and Chelsea will be scrapping it out come May.

City were not even at full strength, full fitness or at their best last night, but they still comfortably had enough to brush Liverpool aside.

For Rodgers it may be a case of taking a step back this season as he integrates nine new players and plans for life without Luis Suarez plus the return of the Champions League.

For Manuel Pellegrini, though, it’s business as usual.

The defence has begun in a confident fashion.

“Championes, championes” rang out around the ground as Liverpool fans were forced to recall the agony of getting so close to ending their long wait for the title, while Gerrard was not cut any slack by the home supporters eager to recall that slip against Chelsea.

City manager Pellegrini left Sergio Aguero on the bench for the second game in succession, with the Argentine not yet fully fit but Pablo Zabaleta returned at right-back.

Liverpool handed a debut to left-back Alberto Moreno, their summer signing from Sevilla as Rodgers made one change from the side which beat Southampton on the opening weekend.

Matador-esque the hosts varied their tempo from kick-off, going from a steady build-up to incisive quick passing movements as they probed and prodded Liverpool in the first half.

Liverpool were not without moments of their own, though, as they predominantly looked for opportunities on the counter attack through the fleet-footed triumvirate of Daniel Sturridge, Philppe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling.

With the home crowd somewhat subdued Liverpool’s forays into City’s half became more frequent and Sturridge worked Joe Hart with a fierce drive on the half-hour mark which the City goalkeeper blocked at his near post.

Any confidence Rodgers might have gleaned from Liverpool’s showing before the interval for his half-time team talk evaporated moments before the interval after a couple of defensive blunders from two of Liverpool’s new recruits.

Dejan Lovren’s weak defensive header from a ball into the box followed by Moreno’s fresh air kick allowed Stevan Jovetic to thunder the ball past Mignolet from inside the six-yard box.

If City’s first goal had more than an element of fortune about it, their second shortly after the break was one for the football purists.

Jovetic began the move with an intelligent flick to send Samir Nasri clear on the right flank. The French winger cut the ball back across the area and Jovetic continued his run to guide the ball past Mignolet.

Jovetic has struggled to convince since his transfer from Fiorentina a year ago, but he looked every inch a player who will contribute to the City cause going forward.

The Montenegrin should have had hat-trick when he screwed wide on the hour mark but it was not long until City put the game to bed through Aguero.

Aguero had been on the pitch a matter of seconds when he latched on to a pass from fellow substitute Jesus Navas and clinically dispatched a low shot past Mignolet.

Liverpool pulled a late goal back when Sturridge crossed for Rickie Lambert who saw his close-range header, given as a Zabaleta own goal, ruled to have crossed the line by the goalline technology.

It was too little, too late for Liverpool. They must pick themselves up for the challenges ahead, but for City it was business as usual and an early marker of their credentials.

MANCHESTER CITY (4-1-3-2): Hart 7; Zabaleta 5, Kompany 6, Demichelis 7, Clichy 5; Fernando 6; Nasri 6, Toure 7, Silva 5 (Navas 66; 7); Jovetic 8 (Fernandinho 79; 7) , Dzeko 6 (Aguero 69; 8).

LIVERPOOL (4-1-4-1): Mignolet 6; Johnson 5, Skrtel 6, Lovren 5, Moreno 5; Gerrard 6; Sterling 7 (Lambert 79; 7) Henderson 7, Allen 6 (Can 75; 6), Coutinho 5 (Markovic 60; 6); Sturridge 7.

Referee: Michael Oliver.