Manchester City were aggrieved at referee Phil Dowd's decision to penalise Richards for a foul and their sense of injustice was almost compounded by a flying Cousin header, but an alert Schmeichel made the save.
Liverpool's three-pronged attack of Ryan Babel, Dirk Kuyt and Torres were moving the ball around crisply and a second goal almost arrived after a Gerrard corner, but keeper Mickael Landreau was alert to Daniel Agger's flicked header.