Football: Ten-man City hold onto Premier League lead

Balotelli sent off but leaders draw 1-1 at Anfield.

LONDON: Manchester City stayed five points clear at the top of the English Premier League table after a 1-1 draw away to Liverpool on Sunday.

City grabbed the lead after the half hour mark when captain Vincent Kompany glanced in a header from a David Silva corner. But just two minutes later Liverpool were level when Kompany’s clearance from the edge of the area found Dirk Kuyt and the Dutchman laid the ball into the path of the advancing Charlie Adam.

City were reduced to 10 men with eight minutes left when striker Mario Balotelli was sent off for a second bookable offence. Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini said Balotelli was unlucky to be sent off, questioning the second yellow card when the Italian clumsily jumped into Martin Skrtel.

Crunch time for League Cup elite

Meanwhile, fans of the six Premier League clubs still left in this season’s English League Cup will find out just how much the tournament means to their respective sides in this week’s quarter-finals.

In recent seasons the League Cup has lagged far behind in the pecking order of goals for leading top-flight clubs, who place a far greater emphasis on winning the Champions League, Premier League and even FA Cup competitions.

With City five points clear at the top of the League, there will be a strong temptation for Mancini to rest some of his star names against Arsenal.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 29^th, 2011.