Liverpool edge Manchester City on penalties

Liverpool beat Premier League rivals Manchester City 3-1 in a penalty shoot-out after a 2-2 draw in a pre-season friendly at Yankee Stadium in New York.

The impressive Stevan Jovetic opened the scoring after 53 minutes, making the most of a fudged Steven Gerrard clearance at the near post to turn home a low Jesus Navas cross.

But Liverpool restored parity just minutes later, when Jordan Henderson swept home a finish from 12 yards after a pass had bounced off team-mate Daniel Sturridge.

Jovetic found the net again to put City 2-1 up, toe-poking the ball part second half substitute Joe Hart after reacting quickest inside the box to a blocked shot on the edge of the penalty area.

Yet the Reds responded once again, with Raheem Sterling scoring the goal of the game, taking a Henderson cushioned, volley pass in his stride before finishing with aplomb into the bottom corner.

16’ LAMBERT CHANCE – Right on cue, what a chance for Lambert! Liverpool come flooding forward on the attack, with Henderson digging out a cross from the byline for the big striker. But Lambert directed his header straight at Caballero from close range!

27’ DISALLOWED – Dzeko has the ball in the net, after finishing low following a through ball from Jovetic in a position on the edge of the box, but the flag is raised for offside, which was probably the correct decision.

53’ OPENER – Navas gets to the byline and squares the cross into the box. Gerrard should clear at the near post, but he can only deflect it into the path of Jovetic, who turns it home.

59’ EQUALISER – Sturridge is played through in the box, but when the tackle comes in from Boyata the ball falls to Henderson, who sweeps it home into the net.

64’ WOODWORK – OFF THE BAR! Jovetic waits and waits and plays a fantastic pass into Clichy at the by line, who picks out Zuculini a matter of yards out, who somehow manages to lift the ball onto the bar!

67’ GOAL – It's another goal for Jovetic, who reacts first to a blocked strike inside the box and toe pokes the ball past Mignolet and into the bottom corner.

85’ GOAL - Wonderful goal by the Reds! Henderson plays the ball to Sterling on the volley, who darts into the box and shapes a shot into the bottom corner.

Is Stevan Jovetic finally about to catch fire at Man City? The Montenegrin’s first season at the Etihad was plagued by injuries, as he struggled to make a mark on the Premier League. But with a full pre-season under his belt Jovetic looks like he could be a real star for Man City this season. He impressed against Liverpool and could have had more than just two goals.

Stevan Jovetic (Man City): Liverpool couldn’t cope with the fluid movement of Jovetic, as he moved all the way across the frontline and dropped deep into midfield at will. He was given something of a free role by Manuel Pellegrini and thrived with such freedom. Could Jovetic be a star of this season’s Premier League?

Manchester City: Caballero 5, Nastasic 6, Boyata 7, Clichy 7, Kolarov 6, Fernando 6, Navas 7, Zuculini 6, Milner 6, Jovetic 6, Dzeko 7.

Liverpool: Jones 5, Kelly 6, Toure 6, Coates 7, Enrique 6, Gerrard 5, Henderson 7, Allen 6, Coutinho 8, Lambert 5, Sturridge 6.