Craig Bellamy came back to haunt his former club Manchester City yesterday as Liverpool booked their first Wembley appearance for 16 years after a 2-2 draw with the Premier League leaders in the semi-final second leg of the League Cup.
Leading 1-0 from the first leg, Liverpool were undone by Nigel De Jong’s spectacular 31st minute long-range finish before skipper Steven Gerrard restored their aggregate lead with a controversial 41st minute penalty.
But City striker Edin Dzeko made it 2-2 on aggregate after scoring from close range midway through the second half before Bellamy’s well-executed 74th minute finish sealed a breathtaking tie in Liverpool’s favour, the Mereyside club advancing 3-2 on aggregate.
Bellamy scored 12 goals in 40 top-flight games for City before joining Liverpool for a second spell five months ago on a free transfer after spending the whole of last season on loan at Cardiff.
Ironically, it is Cardiff who stand between Liverpool and their first trophy for six years.
Kenny Dalglish’s side will now meet the Championship club in the League Cup final on February 26 – Liverpool’s first final at the famous stadium since losing 1-0 to Manchester United in the 1996 FA Cup final.
Roberto Mancini surprised everyone by starting without Sergio Aguero and James Milner in a game City had to win if last season’s FA Cup winners were to secure a second cup final appearance at Wembley in nine months.
Daniel Agger produced a fine clearance while under pressure from Dzeko before the visitors took the lead against the run of play through De Jong.
The former Ajax player has struggled to cement a regular starting place this season. But De Jong had his manager celebrating on the touchline after finding the net with a swerving shot from 30-yards after Liverpool had failed to close him down.
But City’s lead lasted just ten minutes as Liverpool levelled before half-time in controversial cirumstances, Gerrard burying the ball beyond Hart after Micah Richards was harshly adjudged to have handled Agger’s shot.
Leading 2-1 on aggregate, Liverpool went in search of the goal that would kill the tie off.
Dirk Kuyt fired straight at Hart from a good position before the City keeper produced another fine save to deny Martin Skrtel from close range five minutes later.
Stewart Downing was the next to be frustrated by City’s stopper after Kuyt had whipped in a cross while Bellamy missed in front of goal.
And the squandered opportunities were to prove costly as Dzeko hauled City back on level terms on aggregate.
Mancini, who had sent on Aguero at the start of the second half, showed little emotion as Dzeko side-footed home from three-yards after Kolarov’s fine cross.
But once again City failed to defend their lead as Bellamy exchanged a one-two with Johnson inside the City box before placing a low curling shot beyond the outstretched hands of Hart.