The destiny of the title may not be under their control.
But Jurgen Klopp and his Liverpool side will have left the Etihad Stadium feeling satisfied, given Manchester City could and should have been out of sight by half-time. That they were not was down to a combination of City's wastefulness and Liverpool's dogged resilience, which has kept the title race alive, albeit with Pep Guardiola's side still in pole position.
This absorbing title race has echoes of the epic tussle between these two sides in the 2018-19 campaign, when Liverpool pushed City all the way, amassing 97 points, only to lose by one. If City and Liverpool both win their remaining seven games, they will finish on 95 and 94 points respectively, maintaining the absurdly high threshold they have set over the last five seasons.
Liverpool need City to slip up if they are to snatch the title, with Klopp's side ostensibly facing the harder run-in, although they are unlikely to let up in their pursuit of Guardiola's men if this display is anything to go by. Klopp's side were off the pace throughout a pulsating first-half, one in which City, led by the imperious Kevin De Bruyne, put their opponents under relentless pressure.
Too many of Liverpool's players went missing in the first 45 minutes – Mo Salah and Sadio Mane in particular – while in midfield, Fabinho, Thiago and Jordan Henderson lacked the intensity and guile of their City counterparts. The visitors were rattled and it showed, early in the first-half, when Virgil van Djik played a sloppy pass to Andy Robertson, who was beaten to the ball by a robust challenge from Gabriel Jesus.
Robertson ended up on the turf by the touchline, his anger directed at his team-mate, rather than Jesus, for the poorly executed pass that had put him in such trouble. That moment of rancour encapsulated Liverpool's shoddy first half, one they should have ended trailing by more than a solitary goal, given City's dominance and the chances the hosts spurned.
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Whatever Klopp said at half-time shook his players from their slumber, as Liverpool began the second-half with searing intent, equalising within a minute of the restart through Mane, who was put through by Salah, the pair redeeming themselves after going AWOL in the first half. Once again, City's defensive frailties were exposed, Guardiola slumping back in dismay in his seat, while many fans were still filing back to theirs, oblivious the contest was level once again.
Thereafter, Liverpool repelled everything City threw their way, defending with diligence and desire, committing cynical yet necessary fouls whenever their opponents threatened to breach them again. Their 10-game winning run in the League may have come to an end, but Liverpool left City in no doubt – if they didn't already know – they will have to earn a fourth title in five years.
Since Liverpool emerged as genuine title contenders at the start of 2018, just a single point divides the two sides. Against that epic backdrop, a draw was a fitting outcome, one that is likely to keep the title race going right to the wire.
