Steven Gerrard gave Liverpool a 1-0 win over a lacklustre Manchester City on Wednesday in the first leg of their League Cup semifinal before being involved in an angry tunnel exchange with home manager Roberto Mancini.

The pair clashed twice with Gerrard annoyed at Mancini's response to a two-footed tackle by Liverpool defender Glen Johnson on Joleon Lescott late in the game.

Still annoyed at the four-match ban City captain Vincent Kompany must serve following his dismissal against Manchester United on Sunday, Mancini felt an even greater sense of injustice on Wednesday.

"This (Johnson) tackle was worse," Mancini said. "Gerrard came to me and said I said something. It was not for Johnson. It is for the tackle. This tackle was worse than Vinny's. Everyone can see it."

The incident completed a bad night for Mancini and his City side, which slumped to back-to-back home losses for the first time since February 2008.

City looked lethargic throughout the first half and then failed to convert a number of chances in the second, three days after seeing its FA Cup defence ended by United.

Gerrard slotted his spot kick into the bottom right corner and out of reach of goalkeeper Joe Hart in the 13th minute after Stefan Savic had fouled Daniel Agger in the area.

City, which leads the Premier League by three points ahead of United and Tottenham, struggled to make up for the absence of several key players against Liverpool.

While Kompany is banned, Kolo Toure is on African Cup of Nations duty with the Ivory Coast and Mario Balotelli was substituted in the first half with an ankle problem.

"It is clear that without three or four players it's more difficult but in the end we didn't deserve to lose the game," Mancini said. "We played poorly in the first half but the result is not right. The right result was a draw."

Kompany's stand-in, Stefan Savic, had a particularly difficult time, struggling to contain Liverpool forward Andy Carroll and conceding the penalty.

"Savic needs to get experience," Mancini said. "It is normal. He is young. Against a striker like Carroll maybe he could have some difficulties. But in the second half it went better."

Liverpool started strongly, and Hart had already been forced to make three good saves to keep the game scoreless before Gerrard's penalty.

"There were two different performances in each half," Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish said. "(In the) first half we looked a little more threatening but in the second half, having got the goal advantage, we battened down the hatches and tried to get through it with no goals against us.

"Not too many teams have come here and gone away with no goals against them."

City's performance improved after Balotelli was taken off and replaced by Samir Nasri, but the former Arsenal midfielder was denied by Pepe Reina with a shot from just outside the area.

Sergio Aguero had City's best chance to equalize in the second half, as he pounced on a poor back pass in the area and rounded Reina, but he couldn't get his effort on target from a tight angle as the goalkeeper kept up the pressure by diving at his feet.

Aguero had another chance in the 66th when he ran into the area, but curled a weak shot at Reina that caused no problems for the keeper.

Reina was also in the right place to deny Micah Richards' close-range header after the stand-in City skipper had met Nasri's corner.

"We might have the slight advantage with the goal but it does not mean to say there will be anyone jumping through hoops at our place — we will just go and be professional in the second leg," Dalglish said. "We have to be happy but we are not presuming that the job is done."

In the other semifinal, Crystal Palace beat Cardiff 1-0 at home on Tuesday.

Tottenham turned up the heat on Manchester rivals City and United with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Everton on Wednesday that confirmed the London club as a serious contender for the Premier League title.

Only goal difference is keeping Tottenham behind second-place United while City's lead is three points. But while United has won a dozen English titles alone since 1993, City and Tottenham have not been champions of England since the 1960s.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp, though, is not feeling the weight of expectation with his side in its usually elevated position.

"The pressure is on Man. City because if you look at their squad and the type of money they have been able to spend on the likes of Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Samir Nasri," Redknapp said. "They are expected to be there and win."

Tottenham's fourth league victory in its last six games - the other two matches were drawn - was secured against Everton by goals either side of the break from Aaron Lennon and Benoit Assou-Ekotto.

"We are just hanging in there at the moment and playing well," Redknapp said. "We don't put the pressure on the players ... we are playing well, playing with smiles on our faces."

The victory was significant as it finally evened out the standings, with Tottenham having had a game in hand since their season opener with Everton was postponed in August due to riots near White Hart Lane earlier that week.

That postponement may have worked in Spurs' favor, as they went on to lose their opening matches against United and City in August before finding the form that has transformed their season.

"It's not impossible to win the title, it's difficult," Redknapp said. "At the moment we can enjoy it because we are playing so well and winning."

Securing one of the four Champions League spots as Spurs did in 2010 is the priority and they are currently the top team in London — eight points above fourth-place Chelsea and a further point ahead of Arsenal.

Tottenham coped Wednesday with both holding midfielders, Scott Parker and Sandro, sidelined. But captain Michael Dawson played in the league for the first time since August having recovered from an Achilles tendon and Lennon also returned to league action after three weeks out with hamstring problems.

Lennon's return provided more balance to the team with Gareth Bale on the left flank, but it took 24 minutes for the first goal-scoring chance to arrive following a speedy counterattack from the hosts.

Bale slipped the ball through to Emmanuel Adebayor but the Togo striker wasted the opportunity. As the Everton goal mouth came under more pressure from the hosts, Adebayor and Rafael van der Vaart came close before the net was finally breached.

A deep crossfield ball from Assou-Ekotto was missed by Leighton Baines and was punished by Lennon, who rounded the defender and Sylvain Distin while cutting into the penalty area.

The England winger then sent a low shot into the bottom corner of Tim Howard's goal in the 35th minute to ensure Tottenham scored for the 19th consecutive league fixture.

Bale forced an early save from Howard at the start of the second half after bursting forward on an electric counterattack.

With Phil Jagielka already sidelined, Everton's defensive woes deepened when center back Distin limped off in the 58th with a hamstring injury and was replaced by the inexperienced Shane Duffy.

And Everton went further behind when Assou-Ekotto blasted a swerving shot into the net from 30 meters (yards) via a slight deflection off Tim Cahill in the 63rd.

While United States goalkeeper Howard conceded twice, compatriot Brad Friedel was never troubled in the Tottenham net.

Everton, which had lost only once on five previous visits to Tottenham, remained 11th in the 20-team standings after failing to hit the target once - even with Landon Donovan in the team during his loan spell from the Los Angeles Galaxy.

"The story tonight is Tottenham and Harry," Everton manager David Moyes said.