Liverpool: Positives and Negatives from 2-2 Draw vs. Manchester City

Liverpool's first home game of the 2012/13 English Premier League finished in a 2-2 draw against reigning champions Manchester City—probably a fair result given what had unfolded throughout the match, but still an encounter that the Reds could easily have won.

Brendan Rodgers avoided the dreaded 0-2 start that no Liverpool manager has had in a very long time, and the Reds also netted their first goal of the season, after being held scoreless by West Bromwich Albion the week before.

As with every match, there was plenty to take away from it in order to improve for the long season ahead. For Liverpool, here are the positives and negatives to take away from their 2-2 draw against Manchester City.

Agree or disagree on anything? I'd love to hear your take on it all.

Positive: Liverpool Had Their Intent Back

After a 3-0 drubbing by West Bromwich Albion to start the season, anything would have seemed like an improvement from Liverpool.  Against the Baggies, they looked lethargic in attack, helpless in defense and simply couldn't muster anything at all that looked like being a threat to their opponents.

However, against Manchester City, the Reds found their intent. Steven Gerrard was fluid in midfield, the Kop was in full voice and Liverpool looked like the Premier League threat that they used to be so long ago. Luis Suarez was causing troubles for the Citizens' normally sound defense and to be blue, Liverpool looked like a good football team.

Their intent and desire was back, and it showed in their strong performance against the defending Premier League champions. Now they need to build on that in their upcoming matches, and given the caliber of opposition they will face in that time, we'll get a good indication of whether or not Liverpool is the real deal this season.

Home to Arsenal, away to Sunderland, home to Manchester United—the next three weeks could be a season-defining period for Brendan Rodgers' men.

Negative: They Couldn't Quite Get the Final Pass

I'm not sure whether it is the fact there's new signings throughout midfield, but Liverpool simply couldn't hit the final pass so often against the Citizens—leaving many to wonder how different the final result could have been if they did.

Luis Suarez and Fabio Borini were often guilty of not lifting their heads before delivering their crosses or passes into the box, and had they done so, they would have hit Steven Gerrard on the penalty spot or Andy Carroll on the head later on in the match.

The final pass simply wasn't there for Liverpool—perhaps an indication that there is still plenty of room for improvement for the Reds. The desire and intent was good, and it helped them to come so close to pulling off an improbable victory, but against the top sides in the competition, that final pass needs to be played accurately and chances need to be taken when they're presented.

Positive: Raheem Sterling Showed the Future Is Bright at Anfield

17-year-old Raheem Sterling started the match on the left flank for Liverpool, played the full 90 minutes against the defending Premier League champions and didn't look for one moment like he was out of his depth at all.

Sterling was sensational in attack—providing the spark and vitality required to give the Reds their attacking intent once more—and was one of his side's best in the 2-2 draw.

He showed that the future is certainly bright at Anfield and that Liverpool could well have their answer to a player like Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as the most exciting teenager in the English Premier League.

Negative: Injuries

Injuries have been a huge talking point throughout the opening two rounds of competition right across the league, and whilst Liverpool didn't suffer the big-name injury that Manchester United and Manchester City have had, they were hampered by the loss of Lucas Leiva after just five minutes.

The Daily Mail reports that the midfielder will have reports on his thigh after hobbling off early against the Citizens and perhaps coupled with his already existing knee problems, this could well be be an issue for Liverpool as they seek to start the season strong.

With Andy Carroll already battling a hamstring injury, injuries could well have a defining impact on the Reds chances at English Premier League success this season. The match against Manchester City didn't help this.

Positive: Joe Allen Finding His Feet

Liverpool fans also got to see their biggest summer signing, Joe Allen, at some of his best form—proving the impact that he could well have for the Reds this season.

The midfielder made the move from Swansea to Liverpool—following manager Brendan Rodgers—and it seems that the Welshman has already made an impact at Anfield as a result of his determination and vision in the middle of the field.

The Daily Mail boldly proclaimed that "Joe Allen can be the new hero at Liverpool", and whilst I'm not sure I'd go quite that far, the words of Brendan Rodgers (via BBC Sport) do emphasize how important Allen will be for the Reds this season.

"

I think Liverpool supporters will enjoy watching this kid play football. He's absolutely immense—his courage in getting on the ball, how he reads the game and his football intelligence is outstanding.

We paid £15 million for him and I said that very quickly that price would double and people probably laughed at me. He will play here for many years and the supporters will love this kid.

"

Negative: Couldn't Get All Three Competition Points

At the end of the day, however, this was a match that Liverpool should have won. Despite the positives of Raheem Sterling, Joe Allen and the improvement from last week, Liverpool should have walked away with three competition points and they didn't.

Martin Skrtel's horrendous error late in the match gifted Carlos Tevez the equalizing goal for Manchester City—seemingly undoing all the hard work that had taken place before that. And whilst that is certainly not the case for Skrtel, it was an error that cost the Reds dearly.

It cost them two competition points—which as we all know, can mean the difference between a lot of things in the English Premier League. It can mean the difference between the Champions League and the Europa League; between championships and finishing second; between beating Everton on the ladder and finishing below Everton on the ladder.

Liverpool simply cannot afford to throw away results like they did against City if they are to genuinely compete for a top-four spot in the Premier League season. They have shown that they can perform and match the best teams in the league, but if it doesn't show on the scoreboard at the end of the match, it may as well have all been for nothing.

What did you take out of the Liverpool vs. Manchester City fixture?

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