City were reduced midway through the second half when, for the second successive week, Xabi Alonso was the victim of a challenge deemed worthy of a red card, although this time even home manager Mark Hughes could have no complaints with the dismissal of Pablo Zabaleta for a two-footed challenge.

Liverpool, though, were hampered by the loss of Martin Skrtel during the closing moments when the Slovakian departed on a stretcher with what at first glance seemed a serious knee injury.

Albert Riera – intent on making an impression on his return to Eastlands, where he spent six-month loan spell in 2006 – was a rare bright spot during a miserable first half for Liverpool.

The visitors actually started well and should have been ahead in the 17th minute, when Riera’s trickery bewildered Micah Richards only for his inviting low cross to be sliced woefully over by Kuyt from 10 yards.

But a catalogue of defensive errors gifted City the lead two minutes later.

After Shaun Wright-Phillips caught out an over-elaborate Fabio Aurelio, the ball was crossed in to the feet of Jo. Alonso made the tackle, but possession fell fortuitously back to Wright-Phillips to again feed into the area where Alvaro Arbeloa dallied in clearing from Robinho and allowed the approaching Ireland to thrash home.

It got worse for Liverpool four minutes before the interval. Again, it was sloppy defending, Wright-Phillips nipping ahead of Aurelio before being bundled over from behind by Riera 20 yards out.

Up stepped Garrido to curl a fine left-footed free-kick into the top corner that gave Reina little chance.

With City dangerous on the break and Torres shackled by Richard Dunne, a Liverpool revival looked unlikely. But Benitez’s side were a different beast after the break.

Kuyt claimed a penalty after tangling with Dunne and then shot wide before the visitors found a way back into the game on 55 minutes with their 1,000th Premier League goal.

Javier Mascherano found Steven Gerrard on the right, who then played the ball between Garrido’s legs and on to the overlapping Arbeloa to cross low into the six-yard box where Torres swept home.

Robinho should have restored the two-goal advantage when somehow volleying a Wright-Phillips cross over from six yards. Yet it was a rare City foray as, their task made more difficult by Zabaleta’s expulsion, the home side were pressed back.

Liverpool’s equaliser on 73 minutes was a more straightforward affair. Andrea Dossena, on for the hapless Aurelio, won a corner on the left and, from Gerrard’s delivery, Torres sneaked in between City substitute Gelson Fernandes and goalkeeper Joe Hart to head in at the near post.

The Spaniard netted at only three away grounds in the Premier League throughout the whole of last season, but all five of his top-flight goals so far this campaign have come on the road.

Robbie Keane and Yossi Benayoun were thrown into the fray as Benitez sensed victory, and Torres missed a glorious chance for a hat-trick when he turned over Keane’s cross from four yards out.

However, the pair combined – albeit somewhat unwittingly – for the winner in injury time. Dossena and Benayoun raided down the left for the latter to pull the ball back to Torres, and the Spaniard’s goalbound shot was diverted off Keane into the path of Kuyt to force home from close range.

It was the Holland international’s first Premier League goal since netting at Newcastle in November.

And it underlined just why, for all City’s wealth, Liverpool is the place to be right now.