Monday bloody Monday

So, what did we learn from the Monday night big match?

Well, we learnt Sheikh Mansour looks very young and far too wealthy. We learnt that Joe Hart is the most gifted goalkeeper in the Premiership. We learnt that Roberto Mancini has made all the right calls so far. We learnt that you don't need a creative central midfielder when you have two penetrating wingers.
And we learnt that without Joe Cole, Liverpool still look very much like the squad that finished 7th last season.

Credit has to go to Roy Hodgson for being much more positive than his predecessor with a 4-4-2 formation, away from home against a top five rival, but on this display it will be some time before they learn to cast off the shackles of Benitez's rigid tactical ploys. City got on top, and who else but James Milner rampaged into the box to set up former Villa team-mate Gareth Barry for a well-worked opener.

Steven Gerrard was uncharacteristically slapdash with his shooting, and Torres continued to display the 'Samson effect', before the second half saw City grab a scrambled second, Richards' header being swung at and missed by Tevez; squirming between Reina's legs on the line. Adam Johnson and Milner were ripping Glen Johnson and Agger apart time and again, and it was no surprise when Adam Johnson careered into the box, only to be scythed down by a brainless lunge from Martin Skrtel. A definite penalty, but Johnson won no friends by waving an imaginary card at Phil Dowd, who is usually the last referee to be influenced by players. Hopefully we can just put it down to the impetuousness of youth rather than a long-term gamesmanship mentality.

Fortunately for Liverpool the deficit never moved into 4 goals, by which time it is generally accepted as a thrashing. Early days, but Roy Hodgson has a big job on his hands, while Mancini's apparently negative tactics are reaping rich rewards. Only time will tell us if these early signs are indicative of the season's story.