Anelka is double trouble for Houllier

Kevin Keegan's popularity is rising. Three months ago he angered all of Merseyside by suggesting he had put his car at risk of theft by parking there; yesterday he merely irked half of it as his Manchester City side inflicted harm on Liverpool's Champions' League aspirations.

Keegan made his non-pc joke on the day he signed Robbie Fowler and it would have been apt if the Kop's former idol had been the man inflicting damage on his erstwhile employers. Instead the paradox was almost as sharp as another ex-Liverpool striker, Nicolas Anelka, scored the goals that mean Liverpool will have to win at Chelsea next week if they are to join Europe's élite.

It was a case of the biter bit because Liverpool succumbed to late goals that have been an Anfield trademark in recent weeks. Milan Baros had put the home side in the 59th minute but Anelka scored a controversial penalty after 73 minutes and then the winner a long way into stoppage time.

The irony will not have been enjoyed by the Liverpool manager, Gérard Houllier, who chose not to sign the French striker for £10m at the end of last season despite a successful loan period. Now he will have to wait and see if Anelka's goals mean the club miss out on the moneypot that is the Champions' League.

"We made two mistakes in the wrong areas at the wrong time," the Liverpool manager said. "When you lose the ball in midfield you have to react quickly and we didn't." The Chelsea match? "It's still in our hands," he replied. "It's a final and we like finals."

The finale yesterday was in contrast to the start in which the midfield was packed and neither team possessed a player with the wit to get through the throng. Liverpool appealed for a penalty when Baros and David Sommeil tangled in the 10th minute but apart from that their early threats came from free-kicks. The first, a 25-yard free-kick from Steven Gerrard, was clawed away from the top corner by Peter Schmeichel while the second was struck with such ferocity by Dietmar Hamann that it cannoned off the City goalkeeper's upper arm before he had chance to move.

City, like the match, were on a slow burner, but they could have begun the second half with two goals. Fowler swung and missed at Shaun Wright-Phillips' pull-back in the 47th minute and Anelka found the side-netting three minutes later after a superb through ball from Ali Benarbia.

Liverpool are past masters of absorbing such pressure, however, and just when it seemed City were gaining an ascendancy, they scored. Fowler complained he had been fouled by Hamann but while he was arguing El-Hadji Diouf crossed from the right and Baros hooked in.

Liverpool scented blood, charged forward and would probably have won but for two outstanding saves from Schmeichel from Diouf and Baros.

City were rocking but not out and they struck when Benarbia again bewitched the Liverpool defence and Anelka was brought down in the penalty area by Djimi Traore in the 74th minute. The home players raged, while the Frenchman waited for the row to subside and then calmly tucked the ball into the corner.

The match was turning on its head and it reached 180 degrees in injury time when Wright-Phillips played a one-two with Benarbia and then flicked on into Anelka's path. He took one touch to steady himself and then lashed the ball past Dudek.

"I know Nicolas wanted to come to Liverpool," Keegan said, "but that's history now. He's come back and done what all great strikers do and that's score. His second was a superb strike."

Liverpool 1
Baros 59

Manchester City 2
Anelka pen 74, 90

Half-time: 0-0 Attendance: 44,220