Manchester City and Liverpool had to settle for a point apiece after an action-packed 1-1 draw in their league clash at the Etihad on Sunday evening.

The first half offered little goal-mouth action, with Manchester City’s calls for a penalty waved away before Raheem Sterling failed to capitalise on his side’s best chance of the half, totally missing a ball played in by Kevin De Bruyne as Fernandinho’s follow-up shot fizzed wide.

The second half burst into life just three minutes in, as Gael Clichy brought down Firmino in the box to hand the visitors a penalty. Up stepped James Milner to slot home his seventh spot-kick of the campaign, as Jurgen Klopp’s charges took the lead.

City, urged on by their fans, started to press with fervour, yet the Reds had the game’s next goal-scoring opportunity as Willy Caballero rushed out to save a Firmino shot with just the keeper to beat.

Yet on 69 minutes, the hosts drew level through perennial goalscorer Sergio Aguero, tapping home a perfect De Bruyne delivery from the right to continuing his impressive scoring form against Liverpool, with five goals in his last five games at home against the Merseyside club.

De Bruyne hit the post after impressive build-up play soon after, yet what has been deemed as one of the misses of the season so far left Adam Lallana with his hands on his head: the English midfielder was fed an easy ball in the small box by teammate Firmino, yet with the goal at his mercy, somehow scuffed his shot.

The Citizens poured forward in the dying minutes of the game, yet Liverpool somehow managed to hang on, and after four minutes of stoppage time, the spoils were shared in a pulsating 1-1 draw.

The result leaves City and Liverpool in third and fourth respectively, separated by a solitary point.

Earlier in the day, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli were on target as Tottenham Hotspur cemented second spot with a 2-1 win over Southampton, while Manchester United jumped up tot fifth with a 3-1 win over struggling Middlesbrough.