Graphic: home discomfort

Climbing mountains of their own making has been a feature of Liverpool’s progress in this season’s Barclays Premier League title race, but, now that altitude sickness has kicked in, that challenge no longer seems to be within their compass. Unaccustomed to such rarefied air, they have been slowed to a standstill and it is a growing source of anguish, rather than consolation, that Sir Alex Ferguson warned them it would be thus.

It is fewer than eight weeks since Ferguson, in an interview with Manchester United’s official magazine, said that Liverpool were “going into the unknown” and would “get nervous” as the season progressed, a seed of uncertainty that was planted with all of his customary tenderness. At the time Liverpool were seven points clear at the top of the table and, while the subsequent 14-point swing has seen Ferguson hailed as a psychological genius and Rafael Benítez as a crackpot by some, the reality is simply that the Merseyside club have been found wanting, for class and for belief, as the pressure has been cranked up from Old Trafford.

In times past, Manchester City’s supporters might have bristled at the idea of assisting United’s push for a third consecutive title, but there was a perception from the opening minutes at Anfield yesterday that Liverpool, far too anxious in the absence of key personnel, were there for the taking. City had travelled to Merseyside depleted, with only seven points from 12 Premier League matches away from home this season, but, with Nedum Onuoha, Nigel de Jong and Craig Bellamy rising to the occasion, Mark Hughes felt they deserved the victory that was denied them when Dirk Kuyt, with 12 minutes remaining, cancelled out City’s goal, an unwitting Álvaro Arbeloa deflection of Bellamy’s shot.

The manager expressed delight afterwards at a “very good performance against a team that is battling for the title”, but right now Liverpool seem to be inhibited, rather than inspired, by their status as title challengers. Badly missing the thrust of the hamstrung Steven Gerrard and the composure of the suspended Xabi Alonso, Benítez’s team looked nothing like champions or indeed contenders yesterday. With their two best passers of the ball absent, everything was too hurried, not least by Lucas Leiva, who seems more susceptible than most to the Anfield angst.

It seemed appropriate that it should be Bellamy who forced the City lead three minutes into the second half. As one of hundreds of players who has come and gone from Anfield in the 19 years since their last league title, the Wales forward knows all about the anxiety that can afflict Liverpool when the heat is on in the Premier League. He also has a penchant for scoring against his former clubs — he will try to persuade the dubious goals panel that this was his fourth such effort this season — though he might prefer to regard what should be his third goal in six appearances merely as an extension of his excellent form.

The goal stemmed form a moment of inspiration from Robinho. Such an uplifting presence in his first few months at City, the Brazil forward has shown a less appealing side to his game as the season has progressed, but he remains capable of great artistry. Allowing the ball to drift across his body three minutes into the second half, he made space for himself on the edge of the Liverpool penalty area and slipped the ball through to Vincent Kompany. The Belgium midfield player rolled the ball back to Bellamy, whose shot took a decisive defleection off Arbeloa.

It was a lead that City just about deserved, having ended the first half as the more convincing team, with Stephen Ireland forcing José Manuel Reina into a save on the half-hour. That was the type of near-miss that usually inspires a guttural roar from the Kop, which in turn serves as a wake-up call for Liverpool’s players. Not this time. If anything, it seemed to add to the home team’s uncertainty and to fill City with belief.

City, not Liverpool, looked the more likely to score the game’s second goal, with Ireland having a goal ruled out for offside and Robinho missing the target with a free kick from the edge of the penalty area.

Liverpool, with only rawness to call upon from their attacking substitutes, seemed to have run out of ideas until the ball was crossed from the left by Yossi Benayoun, touched on by Fernando Torres, at full stretch, and prodded in by Kuyt. That was the cue for the overdue onslaught, with Kuyt flashing a shot just wide of the far post and Benayoun forcing Shay Given into his first save of note, but it was simply not enough. Liverpool had been found wanting again.

Liverpool (4-4-2): J M Reina 5 - Á Arbeloa 5, J Carragher 6, M Skrtel 6, A Dossena 5 - Y Benayoun 5, Lucas Leiva 5, J Mascherano 6, A Riera 4 - D Kuyt 7, F Torres 5. Substitutes: N El Zhar 5 (for Riera, 63min), F Aurélio (for Dossena, 76), R Babel (for Mascherano, 83). Not used: D Cavalieri, S Hyypia, J Spearing, R Babel, D Ngog. Next: Middlesbrough (a).

Man City (4-2-3-1): S Given 6 - M Richards 7, R Dunne 6, N Onuoha 7, W Bridge 6 - N de Jong 7, P Zabaleta 6, S Ireland 7, V Kompany 6 - Robinho 6, C Bellamy 7. Substitute: F Caicedo (for Robinho, 88min). Not used: J Hart, J Garrido, Elano, V Weiss, D Vassell, C Evans. Next: West Ham (a).

Referee: P Dowd Attendance: 44,259