Viera 55        Kalinic 27

Big-spending Manchester City were grateful to veteran midfielder Patrick Viera momentarily turning back the clock, after a rare mistake from England keeper Joe Hart gifted Blackburn Rovers an unlikely lead.

Roberto Mancini’s men dominated for long spells but were left chasing the game after Hart and centre-back Kolo Toure effectively left a hopeful Morten Gamst Pedersen big-boot to each other thirty yards from goal, allowing Croatian striker Nikola Kalinic to nip in and roll the ball into the unguarded net on 25 minutes.

City’s Adam Johnson had already shaved the Blackburn post with an early left-footed effort. And he was a constant threat as Rovers defended in depth.

Their defiance led to a grim first half. But City were more effective after the interval and levelled within ten minutes of it, Viera finding Carlos Tevez down the right and continuing his run to side-foot Tevez’s low cross home from four yards.

Kalinic forced Hart into a good save in a rare Rovers foray. But Hart’s England predecessor Paul Robinson was the busier custodian, saving well from Johnson and making a brave block from Toure.

And when Robinson wasn’t involved, Christopher Samba was, making numerous timely interventions to deny City a winner.