SOCCER/Manchester City 0 Liverpool 0: One day to go before the transfer window swings open and it is easy to understand why Sven-Goran Eriksson and Rafael Benitez are eager to get down to business. Manchester City and Liverpool would like to believe it will be a productive 2008 but the only logical conclusion from a prosaic scoreless draw here was that there is an awful lot of work to be done first - and that both managers may need to pull a couple of rabbits out of the hat in the mid-season sale.

For City the focus must be on bringing in an accomplished new forward, or maybe a couple, because Darius Vassell playing on his own in attack is not going to get them into the Champions League and nor is Rolando Bianchi, the €12.3 million Italian who seems destined to be remembered as one of Eriksson's few mistakes in his time in Manchester.

Liverpool, on the other hand, cannot go on relying on Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres to win them matches. The shortcomings of both sides were apparent to all on a disappointing afternoon and, until they are remedied, City can forget about making up the fifth component of a new "Big Five" while Liverpool, once again, will have to grit their teeth and accept the league title is not coming back to Anfield.

Benitez will be frustrated his players could not see off a team that has suddenly started to look jaded and at times, going forward, bankrupt of ideas. For long spells Liverpool were comfortably the better side and it needed a splendid save from Joe Hart, followed by a goalline clearance from Richard Dunne, to stop Dirk Kuyt winning the game with a header four minutes from the end of normal time.

For all that, it was a laboured performance and, even on a weekend when Manchester United lost to West Ham United at Upton Park, it was difficult to believe this methodical, often predictable Liverpool side have serious aspirations to depose the reigning champions.

The result leaves Liverpool 10 points behind Arsenal, albeit with a game in hand, and Benitez may come to regret his side's failure to make their domination count, even if he did declare himself reasonably satisfied. "We had 17 attempts against a side that has a fantastic record at home, so I can't say anything [ critical]," he said. "We may be 10 points behind but, if we continue to play like that, we will win a lot of our future games. The players worked really hard, they had plenty of possession, controlled the game and created a lot of chances. We must find the positives, which are that we deserved to win."

His team certainly highlighted the fact Eriksson may need several more of Thaksin Shinawatra's bags of gold before City get their wish to expand the Premier League's Big Four. This was not a good day for Eriksson's more creative players and, with Stephen Ireland and Elano both subdued, it does not reflect well on Eriksson's team that they went through the whole game without managing a single shot on target. Jose Reina, the Liverpool goalkeeper, left the pitch with barely a scrape of mud on his kit.

At the other end Hart's reflex save to deny Kuyt at the end demonstrated why Eriksson has installed him as his first-choice goalkeeper ahead of the Sweden international Andreas Isaksson. Yet Hart, from a Liverpool perspective, had little to do otherwise, with Dunne and Micah Richards immovable figures at the heart of City's defence.

Dunne, in particular, nullified the threat of Torres. "He was everywhere," enthused Eriksson, who also paid tribute to the 34-year-old Dietmar Hamann's expertise in the holding midfield role. "I just wish I had him when he was 20 years old," said the Swede.

Eriksson could reflect on two headed opportunities inside the opening quarter-hour for Vassell and Dunne but the game thereafter became a story of Liverpool pressure. Even then, however, the visitors often lacked fluency in attack with neither Gerrard nor Torres anywhere close to his best. Yossi Benayoun was lively on the right but it is bewildering that Benitez persists with Harry Kewell on the left when he has Ryan Babel on the bench. Kuyt is a willing runner but is this really a striker to win the league?

The evidence points towards another season of what-ifs at Anfield but at least Benitez seems to have been given permission by the club's American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, to strengthen his squad during the January transfer window. "We are getting close to some players," the Liverpool manager reported.

Eriksson also has the backing to bring in "two or three new players" although the depressing news for City is that Chelsea appear to have overtaken them in the chase for Nicolas Anelka of Bolton Wanderers. Anelka, undoubtedly, would fit perfectly into this City side and until Eriksson brings in a striker of that order they may have to continue looking at the top four through envious eyes.

"It would be nice if there was a Big Five like in the jungle," the City manager mused. "But fifth doesn't get you a Champions League place."