Totally shattered today. I spent the last two days more than a touch wound up and certainly worrying that we really up against it last night. As it was the customary post-match trudge down Arkles Land and along Pinehurst Avenue after yet another disappointing draw was replaced by thousands of supporters marching along with a distinct spring in their step. What is it about this silly game?

In the event on just one single forecast was I right, even if that one didn't quite pan out the way I'd anticipated.

I had it in my head that we couldn't stop City scoring twice. I was right but not for the reasons I thought. They troubled Pepe just three times all game and scored twice -they've put away over 60 goals in the league this season and to say I'm feeling jealous about that statistic is not an understatement. In truth I thought City would stretch us so much that we'd eventually capitulate when in truth our defending as a team was magnificent. On just two occasions, they were simply clinical in their finishing.

I've been suggesting for much of the season that tactics have not played that much of a part in Liverpool's results, but then had started to wonder if a recent run of average displays had not come about from too much use of tactics to try and paper over two unfortunate cracks in the loss of Lucas and Suarez. Well, either way, last night's decision to play Craig Bellamy as a lone striker was a tactical masterstroke. No question. It wasn't simply the somewhat hapless Savic who was under pressure from the Welshman, but also Richards and Lescott. The little fella never let them have a moment of peace. It'd be interesting to know how his knees shaped up this morning, that's for sure.

Was this the near same team that played at Bolton? Certainly some of the players from the Reebok were transformed. Charlie Adam in particular was a far better player last night as a result of recognising his own limitations and playing within them. I suspect he's taking time to adapt from running the whole midfield show at Blackpool and more performances like last night's will silence his critics -well, at least some of them!

The rest of the midfield played as if they were on tablets. They were a credit to the fitness boffins at Melwood because even at the end, they were still running. Henderson even made a few hard tackles and indeed looked the part alongside Gerrard who was absolutely immense. You just have to be at the game to see the very presence of the man and the confidence he brings to those around him. When he's on the ball he almost demands movement from the rest and they do respond.

The two centre backs were immovable working as central defenders, close together and as a pair. With his shiny skinhead Skrtel is far more conspicuous than Dan Agger but their differences in style seem to complement each other to a tee.

Over the two semi-finals City have been clear second best and Liverpool deserve to return to Wembley, though once again the press have to get things wrong and out of context. The notion that we've not been to Wembley since the Spice Boys may be statistically accurate, but there's hardly a mention in most despatches of the eight finals at Cardiff when the London stadium was being done up. Steve Wilson on the BBC said Wembley was known as 'Anfield South' when in fact it is the Millennium Stadium which carries that tag because of the inordinate success the Reds have had there.

Amidst the ongoing euphoria of beating the best team in the league in such a way, it's difficult to get the head round the many plusses from the night. I was a bag of nerves beforehand and for sure felt uneasy about a single one-goal lead. I needn't have worried because, despite the two goals City scored they hardly posed a real threat. Even in the final quarter-hour, the Liverpool rearguard was like a concrete wall that could not be pierced; and not through using a weight of numbers, instead by a employing a great deal of clearly rehearsed finesse. The covering was non-stop as City did everything to try and find a way through only to find one terrier after another blocking the way. Those who thought David Silva, Nasri and Aguero would have too much skill for us to keep at arms length for a sustained period were totally wrong (I was one of them!) All of which leaves us mystified as to why we're not sitting pretty with a top four place. But then City stuffed United 6-1 on their own patch a couple of months back and that too is beginning to make little sense now!

With our morale sky high on the back of such a brilliant performance, Ferguson will hardly be relishing Saturday, but for Liverpool, in the light of our hitherto terrible inconsistency, perhaps Wolves on Tuesday night is a better yardstick by which to judge how the rest of the season is set to pan out.

One thing's for sure. I do believe the use of Bellamy hereon in is going to be mighty interesting to say the least.

One final afterthought: I thought Referee Dowd last night was tremendous. Of course there were grounds for discontent over a couple of decisions, but the most important thing is that he really let the game flow and remarkably, for a game of this importance, the card total was a mere three. Well done, Ref!

Mike Hopper