There were six more goals scored in Saturday’s contest, but this time their distribution was not what City fans were expecting.

Instead of a City rout, the Blues were held to a 3-3 draw after conceding an 87th minute equalizer on a classic long ball goal that City utterly failed to deal with. For the second straight home match, City dropped points from what looked like a comfortable winning position. It’s true that you’re never completely safe with just a one goal advantage, but till the goal Burnley had hardly a sniff at goal in the second half after a rather inspiring first half saw the visitors take a shock 2-0 lead.

A deflected strike from Shaun Wright-Phillips before halftime gave City a lifeline, and City were a dominant force the in the first twenty minutes of the second half, scoring twice to complete what should have been a complete reversal. Bellamy’s goal, City’s third, was a good example of City at its best–getting space down the right wing, cutting a dangerous ball across the box, and having it fall to Bellamy, left alone as markers tried to deal with Tevez.

City had several more decent opportunities to carve out a 4th goal, the best of which fell to sub Martin Petrov. Playing on the right side, he dragged a shot wide with his right foot from a very promising position in the box; with a little more awareness, he might have spotted Adebayor attacking the far post for a tap-in.

I don’t fault Hughes necessarily for pushing for a 4th goal, but the collapse at the end does raise the question of why De Jong and Kompany were left unused in the final 10-15 minutes. But even that may not have made the difference: the third Burnley goal can be traced to Joleon Lescott’s being out of position, and remaining flat-footed once the ball sailed over his head into the box. Toure was left to try to defend two players, which doesn’t usually work.

Earlier Lescott had conceded a needless penalty for defending a cross with his arms raised–never a good idea. Although the former Everton man did have a good assist on Toure’s equalizing goal, the performance yesterday will raise further questions. Not necessarily “Why again did we sell Richard Dunne?”, but about whether Kompany ought to come into the side and partner Toure.

And if one things Lescott is too big an asset on set pieces to leave out, maybe it’s Wayne Bridge who needs to sit out with Lescott shifting to the left back position. Bridge was acres out of position on the second Burnley goal, though to be fair he was caught up the field when Gareth Barry needlessly lost the ball. Bridge has been a valuable offensive threat, but his forays forward do increase the risk of City being caught out at the back.

My guess is Bridge keeps his place, but surely Kompany needs to be given serious consideration to replace Lescott, at least for a spell. City had a great chance yesterday to show they have the character not just to come from behind but to hold what we have. But as of right now, that’s not the case, and something will need to change.

City and Birmingham were promoted to the Premier League the same year, 2002, but after several seasons of punching above their weight Birmingham suffered relegation first in 2006 and again in 2008. But the club bounced back last season by earning automatic promotion and are regarded by most as good candidates to stay up this time around. One twist in today’s match is the goalkeeping situation: Birmingham’s No. 1 is Joe Hart, who formerly held that position at City but is now on loan. He won’t be able to play today.

Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor miss this one today for City. Coming into the side will be Vincent Kompany and Roque Santa Cruz. Shaun Wright-Phillips, who didn’t start last week against Fulham, is back in the eleven with Petrov returning to the bench; similarly Pablo Zabaleta is replacing Micah Richards at right back. Otherwise it’s Bridge, Lescott, Given, De Jong, Barry, Tevez and Bellamy. No explanation yet as to Toure and Adebayor’s absence (they aren’t on the bench either) but presumably each has an injury.

1st minute. Birmingham kick off and City put on immediate pressure with Bellamy recovering an early giveaway. City set up shop but a slip by RSC leads to a handball

2nd minute. Stephen Carr had a chance to cross there but no one was in the box for the home side. Tevez is fouled on an elbow to the head.

3rd minute. City are wearing away black by the way, Birmingham of course in Blue. Chucho Benitez plays a cross in then Given easily takes. RSC slipped again on that pass. Will City resort to more long ball with the big man up front?

5th minute. Kompany had a great tackle there–he looks sharp early on his first league start of the year.

6th minute. Tevez rapidly closed down Maik Taylor and forced him to clear it out of bounds, but nothing results from the ensuing possession. Joe Hart shown in a box wearing a suit. I wonder who is rooting for?

7th minute. Barry Ferguson took the ball off an unawares Barry there and had a chance to shoot, he fired dangerously but just wide to the left of Given’s post.

8th minute. Back to Hart, if City do qualify for Champions League football he could find himself back at City to help Given out next season. If not perhaps his move to Birmingham will become permanent.

9th minute. That was close from Birmingham! Chucho struck a shot from 20 yards straight on that looked goal-bound but ended up hitting the post! Replay shows it deflected off Kompany, and that Given got an important touch to it as well.

11th minute. This early pressure has fired up the home crowd and their team certainly look up for this.

12th minute. Another close shave as City sloppily gave it away at the back, Given had to come out and make a fine save in a one-on-one situation. Kompany was at fault there, it was Chucho who had the chance but Given got out there very quickly.

13th minute. First half-chance for City but RSC misses well wide on that header off SWP’s cross. City do not look settled in midfield. Barry and De Jong need to establish some control.

14th minute. That’s much better from City–Tevez found Bellamy in the box and his shot was deflected behind. Corner kick but Taylor claims it.

15th minute. Not much danger of this finishing nil-nil on current tempo. City had a break there and Tevez managed to get a shot off on the right from a tight angle, but Taylor caught it easily.

16th minute. Now it’s Given’s turn to hoof it in the crowd under pressure after that backpass, but Birmingham don’t make anything of the throw-in.

18th minute. Bridge had a cross there but didn’t find any one. Lescott did well to win the ball down the left as Birmingham tried to counter.

19th minute. Good spell for City here ends with a rasping shot from SWP that Taylor could only parry sloppily. Zabaleta had kept the play going with a cross right on the endline. The shot was at Taylor but low, unfortunately Birmingham were closest to that rebound and got it away.

20th minute. Corner kick for City now with Bellamy to take. Taylor just managed to get that away, SWP almost got there for a follow-up shot but Birmingham got there first.

22nd minute Martin Petrov doesn’t look impressed on the bench, commentators say he has a knock but he is available. Great chance there for Bellamy but Johnson got over to deflect it behind. Space is opening up now for City who have settled into this.

23rd minute. Nothing came of that corner, but City win the ball back in short order.

24th minute. De Jong just played a terrible cross field ball that sailed out of bounds. Long ball looking for Chucho finds the striker offside.

25th minute. Now RSC is called for offside.

27th minute. McFadden tried for one of his trademark long drives and forced Given to make a good save. Corner for Birmingham, it’s cleared and falls kindly for Bellamy, he takes on Ferguson and Ferguson is harshly issued a yellow for obstruction.

29th minute. Free kick from 35 yards out, Lescott got his noggin to it but he can’t make it 3 in 3–instead it sails over the bar.

30th minute. Lescott was on the scoresheet last week against Fulham and again vs. Scunthorpe in midweek. City come again and come very close! Tevez played through SWP terrifically, he pulled it back, it hit a defender and then RSC had it as hit feet 4 yards out, but Taylor was on top of him and got it behind. City don’t get anything from the resultant corner.

32nd minute. City come again and Tevez tries an ambitious shot from just inside the box, but it files over. Not a bad effort. Tevez is acting as the de facto playmaker today.

33rd minute. Lescott decides to hoof it up the line out of bounds instead of trying a back pass. City win it back though and pass it at the back a bit.

34th minute. Good through ball right down the middle but Larsson can quite get to it, if he had–and the replay shows he should have–he would have had a glorious chance.

35th minute. Barry was too casual there and knocked it out of bounds under no pressure, but City get it back. Here’s a foul on McFadden who clearly caught Bellamy, about 40 yards from goal.

37th minute. Bellamy hit that on the ground and not all that hard, not sure if he meant it but it could have been dangerous. No one gets to it though and it’s a goal kick.

39th minute. City have had the better of the play overall but Birmingham are very much in this and very capable of scoring. City don’t want to go behind today. SWP earned a free kick there.

40th minute. Zabaleta looked for RSC on not one but two consecutive crosses but could not connect. De Jong commits a foul there, and handballs to boot, De Jong is going to get a talking to but not a card, somewhat luckily.

43rd minute. Dangerous sequence there! Birmingham had it in the box, City couldn’t clear it, and it fell to Bowyer who had a shot, Given dove to his right to stop that, then pounced on the short rebound before an attacker could get to it. That’s why Joe Hart is on loan, folks.

45th minute. City get a free kick on the right and there’s a yellow card for Dann. Tevez got brought down. Barry’s free kick was just awful and goes behind. He looks a little rattled returning to Birmingham for some reason.

47th minute. Former City manager Stuart Pearce is in the stands alongside Fabio Capello. Birmingham have a throw but nothing comes of it. Halftime is here and the home team is being applauded by the support. City have not been bad but a little rough on the edges. I think bringing on Superman (Ireland) might be a wise move for birthday boy Mark Hughes.

Halftime match stats show City had 56% of possession and outshot Birmingham 7-5, but 4 of the home team’s shot were on target compared to just 2 for City. Tevez completed 21 of 22 passes in the first half. My inclination might be to take RSC off and put Ireland on, and have Tevez operated in the middle. But we will see.

46th minute. RSC hasn’t in fairness done a lot wrong, but he hasn’t looked too threatening either. In any case, he’s still on the pitch as the 2nd half kicks off. RSC and Tevez get it going and after an exchange of aimless long balls, Given will have a goal kick.

47th minute. Given a bit slow coming for that ball, communication between him and Lescott not the best–it was an awkward bouncing long ball into the box. Given claimed it in the end. City have it down the right but Zabaleta loses control trying to set up space for himself on the touchline.

48th minute. Zabaleta crossed it in but on the ground which doesn’t make a lot of sense as RSC was the target.

49th minute. SWP has been really good today and again made a clever run in that set up space for Zabaleta to cross–but again it’s not a great one. Now Tevez has a chance to fire after Bridge made a nice run to set him up that goes well over.

51st minute. Someone is chanting “there’s only one Joe Hart” but I’m not sure whose fans it is.

52nd minute. Free kick for Birmingham claimed by Given and City break, Zabaleta again has a chance to cross but he can’t get it over the defenders’ head. I might have been wrong about the nil-nil comment earlier–this is in danger of devolving into a stalemate.

53rd minute. McFadden found Chucho there but he was a half yard offside. City try to work it up the left this time but it goes behind. Okay I’ll make it official–bring on Stevie Ireland! Please!

55th minute. Bridge stupidly gets a yellow card, he had a neat juggling run up the left, but gave it one extra unnecessary kick…

56th minute. And now a penalty is awarded to Birmingham! That’s on De Jong. It was a ball bouncing in the box and for some reason he but his arm in the air and it hit the ball. Didn’t look deliberate, but it’s given. McFadden will take…

57th minute. SAVED!!!!!!! Great job by Given going to his left, it wasn’t the hardest hit strike but he had to get down quickly to knock it away. It was cleared behind and City then won a free kick off the resulting corner–someone, I think McFadden get a yellow for a foul on that play. Huge let off for City!

59th minute. Brief penalty shout for City as Zabaleta went down in the box–there may have been contact with McFadden but nothing is given. Ireland is preparing to come on.

60th minute. City with an excellent move there as SWP gets to the endline, he cuts it back but Birmingham knock it behind. De Jong is off Ireland is on. The corner took a bounce and found its way to Lescott, who weakly volleyed with his foot into Taylor’s hands.

61st minute. McFadden is off and doesn’t understand why, Fahey is on in his place. City fans will not mind Birmingham’s most likely match-winner leaving.

63rd minute. Good chance there from Jerome who got his head to that cross from 7 yards away, but he can’t quite put it on target. Birmingham break on the left and RSC gets a yellow, to his credit he was tracking back defensively there to cover on the break but he tugged the man down. Free kick for Birmingham.

64th minute. Petrov is ready to come on. City cleared both the free kick and the resultant corner. And Birmingham now get another corner…

65th minute. City get it away and Bellamy feverishly brings it up the pitch. Throw-in for City, and RSC is taken off for Petrov. Perhaps the yellow for the Paraguay man was the deciding factor there. Off the throw, Tevez creates room for himself and fires hard at goal, Taylor knocks it behind for a corner. Birmingham get the corner away.

69th minute. Birmingham had a throw in an attacking position but lose it over the line. It looks like Bellamy will play in the central striker role. Zabaleta there squirrels away a very dangerous cross into the six yard box–that looked like an own goal in the making.

70th minute. SWP had a chance to cross there and brought out his 9-iron, an oddly lofted ball that Taylor managed to get to first.

72nd minute. Kompany with a poor-give away in a midfield position there, Birmingham tried to break but that long ball took a big bounce off the turf and went all the way behind for a goal kick. Ireland has had no impact for City since coming on, one feels that much change if City is to get all the points today.

73rd minute. Barry with a cross there, he looked for SWP at the backpost but the little man was offside (he wouldn’t have won that anyway).

74th minute. Jerome mugged Barry there and had a run toward goal, but his pass was a bit sloppy and City were able to recover.

75th minute. Good, battling game from both teams today. How will it end? No idea at this point.

76th minute. City get a corner down the right, caused initially by Bellamy’s rapid close down on Taylor off a backpass. Not a great corner though and it’s headed away at the near post.

78th minute. Ireland still yet to see the ball. SWP has had it plenty there, he took it forward and played one of the day’s better crosses, but City can’t get a shot away off of that.

81st minute. SWP again got into a good position, he tried something different there, to chip it over Taylor’s head toward the back post, but the cross sails over the end line.

83rd minute. Chucho was clear for a moment there to shoot but Zabaleta got over to make a block. Corner for Birmingham, Petrov took it forward and it looks there may be a serious injury for Johnson for Birmingham–oh dear

84th minute. It was a bit of a scramble into the box with players from both teams. Still not clear what happened but this could be a broken leg-type injury–Johnson is still down and surrounded by medical staff. hopefully not.

86th minute. Phew! Johnson is able to get up–and may be able to keep playing. In the midst of all that there was a shout for a penalty for City as Tevez burst into the box, needless to say none was given. Play restarts.

88th minute. City playing with renewed urgency, they want the points no doubt. Another cross from SWP is cleared away. Kevin Phillips in for Cameron Jerome, hopefully he won’t have a chance to do a Michael Owen against us.

89th minute. Birmingham are offside and hey–Ireland just a touch, albeit a short one. Chucho has been given man of the match for the home team, on queue he gets his hed to that cross but Given saves the weak looping header easily. City bring it back and SWP wins another corner.

91st minute. Six minutes of injury time! City take that corner and Taylor did well to catch that a good 7 or 8 yards off his line.

92nd minute. The ball fell to Phillips’s feet, he struck it weakly and it may have hit Kompany’s hand as he fell, but he knew nothing about it. Kompany then kicked it off Phillips’s shin into Given’s waiting hands.

93rd minute. Petrov popped up on the right and had left footed strike from about 12 yards at a 45 degree angle. Unfortunately it bent the wrong way, away from the target. Both teams still battling for everything.

94th minute. Good tackle from Ireland who has seen more of the ball of late. Tevez on the left, he creates some space to shoot on his right but it balloons well over. SWP and Petrov have switched sides which might be a good idea. 90 seconds to go.

96th minute. Dean produces the yellow for Ferguson, and as that is his second, he’s off. He tried to block the throw in with his hand like a basketball player guarding an in-bounds passer! Birmingham want the final whistle now as we enter a 7th minute of injury time.

And there it is–nil-nil! Blame the blogger for saying this couldn’t possibly a 0-0. Four draws in a row for City who now have 19 points from their first 10 matches. That projects out to 72 points, which is very good but not quite Champions League form.

More optimistically, City have taken now 9 points from 6 away games and 10 points from 4 home games. If you project those averages out, City are on course to gain 76 points.

But all that’s a long way away. City didn’t do badly today and it’s not a bad point, but still disappointing that more clear chances were not created despite loads of pressure. Credit of course Shay Given for keeping City from falling behind with a great penalty save and a couple of other splendid interventions.

Next up for City is a home date with Burnley–that should be a fun match with a lot of good football.

City had a seemingly good goal off a corner by Micah Richards disallowed, possibly for a push by Gareth Barry. City were the dominant team most of the first half but Fulham were also dangerous in spells, and City were extremely lucky not to be punished when Kamara slipped behind the offside trap with a clear run in goal. Fortunately Kamara seemed as surprised as anyone else and his heavy touch allowed Given time to come save at feet.

City’s lineup has been a little different today, with neither Ireland or Wright-Phillips in the eleven. Instead it’s the usual three up top–Bellamy, Adebayor, Tevez–with De Jong, Barry, and Petrov in the midfield. Richards retakes the right-back spot after Zabaleta’s red card last week, while Toure is back in the line up partnering Lescott. Bridge and Given round out the eleven…

Right now it’s quite an open game–second half should be a cracker…

46th minute. Fulham kick things off…No changes for either side.

47th minute. Attendance announced as just short of 45,000. Duff gets in a good cross from the right, Given briefly fumbles it before gathering it in. OH DEAR–Zamora misses from point blank!!!

48th minute. Fulham had cut City apart, after a good save from Given it fell to an unmarked Zamora who knocked it well over the bar from six yards. That was textbook “misses when it was easier to score” stuff. Richards is off the hook, his giveaway at the back started that sequence.

49th minute. City need to get it going here, a bright start from Fulham this half. Tevez manages to get a cross in but no problem for Schwarzer.

50th minute. Foul on Toure gives Fulham a free kick about 25 yards from goal. Duff stands over the ball…

51th minute. Baird took the kick right-footed and put it well over. More replays being shown of Zamora’s miss, which do little to exonerate the ex-Brighton man…

53rd minute. City get a corner after some work in the corner by Barry. Petrov takes…and Schwarzer punches…Bridge fires it in and nearly scores! Schwarzer with a great save to his right. Another corner–and a goal for City!!

54th minute. Lescott punched it from about 3 inches! really! Adebayor nudged it towards goal and Lescott finished the job. Goal will be credited to Lescott. Bellamy’s corner kick floated in the air for ages but Fulham didn’t get to it. Replay shows how well Barry did to keep that alive, he got the first two City touches to it, Adebayor nudged it on, then Lescott smashed it home. Not Schwarzer’s greatest moment it has to be said, he came for it and didn’t get it.

56th minute. Another corner from the left for City, who are keeping the pressure up even after the goal.

57th minute. Nothing comes of that sequence, which ends with Adebayor being whistled for a foul.

59th minute. Bridge works again down the left and gets another corner. He’s had a good game so far. Bellamy to take…

60th minute. Tevez got a head to it but it’s cleared away…and Petrov scores!!! Again! 2-0 City.

61th minute. Petrov came in from the right, and after an exchange of passes found himself open just inside the penalty area, he made no mistake tucking it into the right corner with his left foot. Petrov has now scored every game he has started….

62nd minute. But now Fulham have scored! 2-1. Duff with the finish on his left foot, a not well-cleared ball in the box fell to hm to the right. Game is far from over!

64th minute. A memorable explosion of goals at the start of this half and it has to be said Fulham deserve to have scored. City will want a 3rd to make this safer.

65th minute. Petrov comes down the left but Fulham deal with it this time. Petrov has been given freedom to roam left, right and center instead of being in his more customary left-wing role.

67th minute. Petrov on the ground with a knock. His day is over, and Wright-Phillips takes his place. Good game for Petrov, hopefully this is not serious…

68th minute. But meanwhile Fulham have scored again! Good grief. 2-2. Clint Dempsey the scorer, he got his head on that set piece and it crept in off the post.

69th minute. Test of City’s character here, this game seemed to be in hand but City switched off a bit. Can they switch it back on?

70th minute. Dempsey lies on the turf but the ref decides not to stop play. City move forward and SWP wins a corner.

71th minute. Fulham are angry City played on and the teams scuffle a bit. Nothing comes of the corner…

72nd minute. Ireland about to come on. Richards is fouled–game getting a little chippy now. City are desperate to prevent a repeat of the April 2008 match in which Fulham came all the way back from 2-0 to win. Ireland is on for De Jong.

73rd minute. Free kick skidded through the box dangerously but Tevez can’t quite control it.

74th minute. Fulham have had over 60% possession the last 5 minutes, stats show. This is better from City now as they patiently set up shop.

75th minute. Lescott tried to beat Duff on the dribble which was a bad idea…meanwhile Zamora is no more than 2 yards away from scoring after he got room for himself inside the box. He knocked it just wide of the post. City are not coping at the moment with the forward play.

77th minute. Tevez jostles for the ball near the area and loses his headband, but doesn’t get a call.

78th minute. Kelly wins a Fulham corner, cutting City open down the left flank. Hangeland with a strong header off that corner but Given saves well and City clear.

79th minute. SWP gets a chance to get into the game after being set up by Tevez, he shoots ambitiously from distance but it’s not any where close.

80th minute. This is an important 10 minutes for City’s season–a draw would be very disappointing after having led 2-0 but it would be worse yet to lose it, which seems entirely possible.

81th minute. That’s better from City–Barry comes very close there, nodding it a yard wide with his head from about 8 yards out. SWP supplied the chipped cross to the back post.

83rd minute. City pass it around the back nicely then launch a long ball that comes to nothing. Dempsey comes back with it for Fulham who now have it for a spell. Duff closes down Bridge there deep in the corner and gets a corner on the ricochet.

84th minute. Dempsey gets away from Lescott there but his header goes over the bar.

85th minute. SWP earns a corner down the right. Adebayor got his head to it but it goes tamely wide.

86th minute. Barry’s ball into the box is nodded behind for a corner. Bellamy takes, he puts it back post again, Richards seemed to get there but it bounces safely into the keeper’s hands.

87th minute. City crowd sound nervous, anxious for something good to happen but not entirely confident.

89th minute. Tevez does well there to manufacture a half-chance, it’s deflected behind for a corner. Bellamy takes but it’s dealt with.

90th minute. Kamara drags it just wide of the goal there, he took Toure on there.

91st minute. 5 minutes of injury time to be played. Vincent Kompany is going to come on for Kolo Toure, he takes the armband too. Possibly a good idea with Fulham’s recent threats. Seol comes in for Kamara.

93rd minute. Bridge plays a cross that’s deflected behind for yet another City corner. Bellamy puts it in a good place but Baird gets there first.

94th minute. Adebayor falls chasing that long ball from Kompany. Footing seems to be treacherous with the rain.

95th minute. Barry plays a near post cross but Schwarzer anticipated that to make the catch. Offside on Zamora..and that’s the final whistle. The ref did not add another minute for the last subs but called it over right on 95:00.

Final score, City 2, Fulham 2. A somewhat disappointing result, magnified by the fact that City let a two goal lead slip. Yet it would be hard to say it was in any way an unfair result.

Next up for Manchester City: a home date against Scunthorpe in the League Cup on Wednesday.

Right now we are planning to live-blog the game from 8 pm (UK) time. City have bounced back from the derby disappointment with two home wins over top-flight opposition, against Fulham in the League Cup and against West Ham last Monday night in an entertaining 3-1 spectacle that featured a late debut for Roque Santa Cruz as well as two goals for Carlos Tevez. Emmanuel Adebayor returns to the line-up after his suspension.

There has been some speculation that Shaun Wright-Phillips may be the odd man out on Adebayor’s return, given Tevez and Craig Bellamy’s recent form, as well as that of Nigel de Jong, who has been excellent in central midfield after being left out of the season’s early fixtures. Count me as skeptical that Mark Hughes will actually drop SWP, but certainly there’s a legitimate debate about what City’s best line-up is at the moment. My guess is in the end de Jong drops back to the bench to start this one–but we’ll see.

Kickoff minutes away!

City are wearing their black away strip as the game kicks off!

Second half about to kick off–the first half live blog has mysteriously disappeared but the story so far is Villa lead 1-0 on a Richard Dunne header off a corner. City have played quite well to date but have not been able to find the last ball to cut open Villa’s defense. City came closest to scoring on a header from Adebayor off a Barry free kick.

46th minute. City keep the same line up–Bellamy, Adebayor, Tevez, SWP, de Jong, Barry, Bridge, Lescott, Toure, Zabaleta, Given.

47th minute. Bellamy crosses from the left and it’s cleared, but then Barry’s cross almost finds Adebayor, then almost goes in the net directly! But it’s just wide for a goal kick.

48th minute. City had the lion’s share of possession in the first half and that doesn’t look like changing so far. City are playing without a classic creative midfielder but Ireland does lie in waiting on the bench. Meanwhile, Villa are given a corner…..

49th minute. Milner had a pop there but it’s blocked; Villa then work it around again and Milner has loads of space to shoot again, but it’s just wide. City escape that time.

50th minute. City move quickly to change things–Ireland is on for de Jong, who had been on a yellow card after a crunching tackle on Young in the first half. City are going for it!

52nd minute. Great tackle by Young there on Zabaleta who looked to be in the clear down the right after collecting Barry’s cross field ball.

53rd minute. Joe Royle thinks Gareth Barry has been bothered by the stream of boos from Villa supporters–I’m not so sure. Barry’s been good on set pieces and had a chance to score in the first half. Plus, this is not over yet!

54th minute. SWP got in behind there brilliantly but can’t quite get a clean strike off–Collins made a late challenge to stop SWP from scoring.

55th minute. Villa had it in the box for a moment there but City have it away. Still, the bulk of the play is with City, though you have to admire Villa’s defensive effort to this point–every time City are one pass away from a chance, a Villa foot cuts it out.

58th minute. SWP collects a yellow card and Villa have a free kick just outside the box. He fires it in and Adebayor sticks a foot out to knock it behind.

59th minute. Dunne almost scores again! Good grief. He beat Barry to the ball again but knocked it wide on the ground. To be fair, SWP was there on the post had it been on target. In case you missed, it Dunnie Monster was admirably restrained in celebrating his first half goal.

60th minute. Agbonlahor got free there and had a chance to shoot, it’s blocked behind for another Villa corner. Lescott marks Dunne this time. Collins gets in and it’s deflected behind for another corner. SWP clears that one eventually.

62nd minute. Some brilliant possession there by City including a great dummy by Ireland, but it ends poorly as Bellamy shanks his attempted cross. Goal kick. Dunne got in there to head away SWP’s cross. Vintage Dunne so far in this match.

63rd minute. Adebayor wins a corner in the corner off Dunne. Barry to take. It’s headed behind on the far side, Bellamy takes on the other side. …

64th minute. But nothing comes of it. Bridge’s long ball in the box pops out and falls to Ireland, who has a mighty pop that is deflected behind–another corner, Collins heads it out for a throw.

65th minute. More pressure from City, and it’s a throw on the right.

66th minute. City really can’t ask for more pressure than this, if City can avoid giving up another goal on the break you feel City must score at some point.

67th minute. Santa Cruz and Petrov are going to on the pitch shortly, Hughes playing his last two cards. If Tevez leaves that will be harsh on him, he was bright early in the game…but GOAL for CITY!!!!

68th minute. Bellamy scored, right footed blast, Adebayor on the assist, Ireland with the killer ball to set Adebayor up. Great play! Dunne had made a saving block on a through ball a moment before but City recovered possession. The pressure finally told.

69th minute. Santa Cruz on, Tevez off; Carew off for Heskey. Martin Petrov is held back for the moment; SWP stays on with his yellow card.

70th minute. Will City take the foot of the pedal? One hopes not, but perhaps Villa will raise their game after that equalizer.

71st minute. Santa Cruz did well to win the ball and break up a short spell of Villa possession. City set up shop again.

72nd minute. Villa have a throw on the right. Cuellar crosses it all the way across where it’s out for a throw on the other side of the pitch. Young had a chance to cross there but it’s not a good one, goal kick.

74th minute. Adebayor can’t quite get on the end of a long, ambitious through ball from Ireland. Ireland has done what he’s supposed to do since coming on.

75th minute. Bridge wastes that one, he had a chance to set Bellamy up in the left channel but hit it much too hard–goal kick.

76th minute. Legitimate chance for Villa there, Milner nods it over off Young’s cross. Milner did really well to get something on that but it didn’t come close to going in.

77th minute. Game is quite open now. Villa have it in the box, Sidwell’s shot is blocked, a follow-up shot is whiffed. Foul on the other end as Bellamy managed to clatter both Collins and Santa Cruz in one swoop!

79th minute. Free kick for City after a Villa foul for shirt-tugging. Villa have it back, Heskey can’t trap a cross from Agbonlahor and City have it again. I think Tevez has been missed since coming off, but maybe Santa Cruz can prove me wrong.

81st minute. Richard Dunne took it forward a la Kolo Toure but his pass is picked off. But he hustles back to tackle Barry, and then wins a header a moment later.

82nd minute. Reo-Coker comes in for Young.

83rd minute. Warnock got free down the left and crossed it all the way across the goal. This game has lost its fluency, which is not to City’s advantage.

84th minute. Ping-pong soccer with no one getting possession in the midfield at the moment. City need to get it and keep it to create another chance.

85th minute. Villa certainly don’t look like being beaten in the air–to get another one past Dunne and Collins will require passing on the floor.

86th minute. Bellamy bursts down the left but his cross, if that’s what it was, is caught easily by Friedel at the near post.

87th minute. Dunne stepped up to read Ireland’s pass–he might have seen that one before on the training ground. It looked like SWP got taken down there but no call. On the other end Given, has to race out off his line to collect that through ball, which he does.

88th minute. Free kick for City after RSC goes down. Bellamy will take about 30 yards from goal, probably this sholud be a cross.

89th minute. SWP commits a foul and Villa have it back. But now it’s a goal kick for City.

90th minute. Bellamy did brilliantly there to set himself up on the right and play a great ball across, but neither Adebayor or RSC can get to it. 4 minutes of injury time ahead.

91st minute. Kolo Toure is down, and the board says FIVE minutes to go! Can Toure continue?

92nd minute. It looks like he’s going to try. Milner has a dangerous cross on the restart and Given has to punch. Good control by Bellamy on the left but Ireland can’t get clear.

93rd minute. SWP had a chance to cross there but Friedel rises to catch it. Villa look content with a point to be honest.

95th minute. Villa have a throw on the left after another cross by Zab is cleared away. Richard Dunne announced as man of the match and City fans say “once a blue, always a blue.” Bad pass by Ireland gives a throw to Villa on the right. Villa have it for a spell but fortunately it doesn’t come to anything.

Full time whistle! 1-1 a fair result, no doubt. City had better possession but Villa defended terrifically, led by Dunne.

Both sides’ supporters can be satisfied with that performance. Men of the match–Dunne for Villa, Bellamy for City.

International break ahead for City, who climb back into the top four with this result.

Realistically though, most associated with City would certainly settle for a point. In the past seven year’s since City’s most recent promotion, City have tasted defeat at Old Trafford in the league just three times (2003-04, 2006-07, 2008-09), to go with three draws (2002-03, on Shaun Goater’s late equalizer; 2004-05, a heroic nil-nil in which of all people Stephen Jordan figured mightily; and 2005-06, on Joey Barton’s second half equalizer). City also drew at Old Trafford in 2000-01 due to a very late Steve Howey header. Most significant of all, however, was City’s 2-1 defeat of United under Sven in 2008, on the day commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Munich air tragedy.

That day turned out to be the high-water mark of Sven’s time at City. So much has changed since then, and City would like to believe that the days of living in United’s shadow and every derby victory being considered a monumental upset are over, or will be soon enough. Sunday’s match is not the be all and end all, but it’s a certainly another test of just how far City have progressed towards that goal. Come on City!

Pre-match news is that Tevez is fit to play and will start for City. That’s a massive boost. City’s lineup barring any late changes, will be Given, Bridge, Lescott, Toure, Richards, De Jong, Barry, Ireland, Tevez, Bellamy, and Wright-Phillips. Of the men on the bench, many have tapped Zabaleta to potentially have a role to play later on in the match; Petrov may as well. Teenager David Ball has been named to the bench as an emergency striker.

The players are coming out of the tunnel and Carlos Tevez has a big smile on his face–even as he’s met with some booing from United partisans.

United’s lineup includes Berbatov, Rooney, Giggs, Park, Ferdinand, Foster, Rooney, Evra, Anderson, Vidic, Fletcher, O’Shea.

City’s bench: Garrido, Taylor, Weiss, Ball, Zabaleta, Petrov, Sylvinho.

1st minute. City kick off, early spot of trouble is dealt with by Lescott before Berbatov can get a shot off on the edge of the box. City win a free kick.

2nd minute. Tevez closes down Foster and managed to deflect his clearance, but it goes out of bounds. United come back quickly and Richards makes a sliding tackle to put the ball out of bounds–but United score off the throw-in! 1-0 United. It’s Wayne Rooney who scores after Evra got into the box. Nightmare start for City, but it’ll be important not to panic.

4th minute. City didn’t pick up Evra on the throw-in and it proved costly.

6th minute. Derbies are so unpredictable–this could be a match with plenty of goals in it, which is what City want at this point, or it could end up 1-0 United. Right now City just need to get some control. Barry plays the ball out of bounds which won’t help.

8th minute. This is the first time City have trailed this year. Replay clearly shows Richards was at fault on the goal for not tracking Evra after his fine tackle on Rooney. But two City men had the chance to get the ball off Rooney and were not able to before he fired home from about 6 yards.

10th minute. Decent stuff there from City as SWP got on the end of a long ball from De Jong. He played it into the box but it ran all the way through to Foster. Now Bellamy loses the ball over the end line for a goal kick.

13th minute. City are playing the ball around the back to no great effect, other than to calm proceedings down. SWP is playing in a more central role, it seems.

14th minute. Berbatov fires one over the bar from about 25 yards.

15th minute. Tevez got forward and poked it through for Barry, but Barry didn’t anticipate where the pass was going. City counter-attack after Bridge clears it away, but Tevez is tackled.

16th minute. CITY EQUALIZE!!!!!! 1-1. Gareth Barry scored, but CARLOS TEVEZ made that goal!

17th minute. Tevez ran 30 yards to win the ball off Foster’s feet just outside the box, then set up Barry who slotted into an open net from just inside the area. Cool finish. Tevez had just been taunted a bit from the Old Trafford crowd singing “sign him up,” and he responded.

18th minute. Replay shows Rio Ferdinand might have done better on that goal in getting in Tevez’s way, but really that had to be Ben Foster’s ball. Action on the other end now ends with Anderson firing wildly over. Replay shows that Foster was trying to play the ball back into the box so he could pick it up.

21st minute. It’s a new match now with both sides having used guile and hustle to take advantage of napping defenses. It’s hard to say who is having the better of play at the moment but City will need to keep the ball a bit more, one feels.

22nd minute. Toure defuses a dangerous situation there, coming across to clear it out of the box when it looked like Rooney had gotten wrong side of Lescott.

23rd minute. Richards tried to run at 3 defenders after a nice interception, which was a bad idea. But here comes SWP down the right flank after skipping past a defender, he crossed it and Tevez got a head to it, but it goes very tamely over the bar.

25th minute. Both sides are playing very high tempo. De Jong has done really really well for City so far in the middle of the park breaking up attacks.

26th minute. Nice bit of possession there ends when Barry is called for a foul.

27th minute. Tevez picks up the day’s first yellow card for his tackle on Ferdinand. That was a bit unnecessary. City can’t afford for Tevez to get sent off, but we don’t want him getting more cautious either.

28th minute. Ireland whistled for a foul but he got the ball. Now Evra commits a foul. No one is shying away from a tackle in this one!

29th minute. Ireland wins a free kick off Park, 30 yards from goal….

30th minute. Tevez takes it, it caroms off the wall to the left, Bellamy quickly recovers and is brought down by Park, so it’s another free kick for City from the left side of the box.

31st minute. Bellamy bent it towards the near post, where Rooney headed it away–but City keep possession.

33rd minute. Rooney won the ball off Barry there and tried a chipped shot from outside the box, but it’s nowhere close. Goal kick.

35th minute. Anderson and Tevez tangled there and this time it’s the United player who is penalized. Yellow card for Anderson, who came in feet first.

37th minute. Richards is called for a somewhat cheap foul on Giggs–Richards used his arm to brush off the veteran and is called for a foul outside the box. Well-taken by Giggs, Berbatov got there but headed it over from about 5 yards. Let off for City.

41st minute. City were keeping the ball a bit but to no great effect.

42nd minute. After the initial blunder, City have defended quite credibly so far.

43rd minute. SWP ran with the ball a good 50 yards there and is hacked down by Vidic, yellow card. That was tremendous play by the City man.

44th minute. Barry’s take was punched clear by Foster. United found Rooney on the break but City recover.

45th minute. SO CLOSE for City!!! Tevez caps a great move by hitting the post from 10 yards.

46th minute. Toure started that move by taking it off Rooney, then Ireland played a dummy to set up Tevez. Tevez tried to chip it but just couldn’t keep it inside the post.

47th minute. Another chance before the half ends for City as SWP is fouled 35 yards or so from goal in a central position. Bellamy stands over the ball…he fires into the box, and the rebound fell to Lescott’s right foot. His shot is powerful but well over the bar.

There’s the halftime whistle and after the terrible start it’s been quite a good half for City, who should feel very confident at the break. But United will surely have a response that City will need to weather in the second period.

46th minute. United kick off the 2nd half and turn it over in short order to Shay Given. No changes from either side coming out of the break.

47th minute. Berbatov draws a foul there, he went down in between Barry and Lescott though it’s not obvious anyone actually caught him. Rooney will probably take this from 30 yards…

48th minute. Straight into the wall.

49th minute. Goal for United!!! Oh dear. Fletcher puts in Giggs’s cross from the left. No one picked up Fletcher, and he beat Barry to the ball to poke it in.

50th minute. 2-1 United. It looked like Given was slow to react there, he may have been surprised Fletcher got that ball, he was the only United player anywhere near that–it was a floating cross and looked like a City head would get to it.

51st minute. Giggs again crosses dangerously from the left but this time Lescott has a head on it. Park fires over after the clearance.

52nd minute. United rampant at the moment–Given has to save at feet from Giggs who was set up nicely by Rooney. EQUALIZER FOR CITY!!!!

53rd minute. 2-2. BELLAMY with a stunning shot! WOW. This is officially an awesome match. It came from the left side of the box, Bellamy set himself up well and struck it powerfully with his right foot into the far corner. Really a great strike and just what City needed–United seemed to be on the verge of getting a 3rd.

54th minute. And the third almost came for United through Park, who fires hard but a couple of yards wide from the top of the box. He had way too much space there.

55th minute. Robinho looks on from the stands. It will be hard to get Bellamy out of the lineup on current form, he might be thinking.

56th minute. A couple of corners in quick succession for United, the first one was taken short and cleared behind. The second one is dealt with by Lescott. Great run by Giggs but he shanked his cross behind.

57th minute. Bellamy tracked back to win the ball inside City’s own area off Berbatov.

58th minute. That tackle from Bellamy wasn’t as clever, he brought down Anderson and got a yellow card.

59th minute. Giggs that time got a head to a cross from Rooney, but it’s nowhere near the target. The two Welshmen Giggs and Bellamy have take over the game in the second period.

60th minute. Very important tackle from Bridge to put the ball behind as United got it in the box. The corner goes all the way through to Rooney, he crosses it back in and Toure has to put it out.

61th minute. City pinned back just now, fortunately Evra’s cross goes awry and it’s a goal kick. Valencia is now on for Park for United.

63rd minute. More pressure from United. City have a throw, but can’t keep the ball.

64th minute. Tevez continues to be booed. He was magnificent in this game wearing the opposite uniform just a few months ago. And he’s been magnificent so far today too.

65th minute. One City player who’s barely had a touch this half is SWP. Bridge gets a block on Valencia’s cross and it’s another corner. City are looking light in central midfield.

66th minute. Fantastic save by Given!!! Berbatov beat Lescott on the corner and powerfully headed it from 5 yards, but Given’s hands were strong enough to beat it away. Fortunately it was right at him or it surely would have been a goal.

68th minute. There’s SWP getting a boot on it–it’s to clear it out of the box. Lescott clears the next ball out. Another corner for United, Giggs to take. Vidic headed it well, but Ireland cleared it away.

69th minute. ANOTHER great save by Given off Berbatov. He really looked beaten there but Given dove to his left and got his mitts to it. Yet another corner for United. City need to change how this is going and fast.

70th minute. Given saves again! Giggs had an open shot and pounded it right at Given, who parries it behind.

71st minute. It looks like City have shifted to 4 4 2 and it’s just not working, United are getting wherever they want at the moment. That time Berbatov heads behind from a wide angle after yet another cross by Giggs.

72nd minute. City’s players appear to want Ireland to come back into a more central position–he’s been out left the last few minutes and it hasn’t worked. Barry wins a ball in central midfield for City for the first time in ages.

74th minute. Michael Owen is warming up. The commentator is critiquing Mark Hughes, suggesting he’s just not seeing what’s going on.

76th minute. Ireland is still on the left marking Valencia. City now have it. Bridge brings it forward, and City win a foul off O’Shea.

78th minute. Bellamy’s delivery off that free kick didn’t find anyone. Owen comes on for Berbatov, which I think is good news for City–Berbatov was causing major problems in the air.

79th minute. It’s not sure who City could bring on to change this. Evra got down the line there to win another corner.

80th minute. United have had 10 corners, City have not had any this match. By and large City have defended them well. Free kick now for United in a dangerous place after Richards is penalized. Giggs of course to take.

81th minute. And there’s the goal for United–3-2. Fletcher scores again with his head after Giggs’s cross. He did what Berbatov had failed to do, and that is give Given no chance by putting in the far corner.

82nd minute. It seemed almost inevitable after the pressure City were placed under. Richards tries to attack down the right but is whistled for another foul.

83rd minute. Petrov comes in for De Jong. This will expose City even more, but it’s all Hughes can do at this point. Can City at least get a proper chance before this match ends?

85th minute. Ireland whistled for a foul there after he had misplaced a pass.

87th minute. Tevez offside. Bellamy is yelling something at his teammates.

88th minute. Anderson shot left-footed from outside the box there and did not miss by much. SWP hits the post coming the other way! well-saved by Foster.

89th minute. City come so close again, Petrov fired it in hard and Richards couldn’t turn it in from a few yards away.

90th minute. All that started through Ireland’s pass to set up SWP who tried to beat Foster near post and nearly did.

90th minute. EQUALIZER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CRAIG BELLAMY!!!!!!!!!

Ferdinand gave it away to Ireland, Bellamy was played through, he ran it to the edge of the are and poked it past Foster. wow! City need to see this out now.

3-3!

92nd minute. Thank you Rio! Valencia gets across in, Ireland head it but United have it, then get a corner through Fletcher. A sub is coming on now, Carrick for Anderson.

93rd minute. Given punches it away. Rooney recovers and set himself up in a very dangerous position but adrenaline takes over and he fires miles over. 30 seconds to go.

94th minute. City are taking their time now. Important tackle from Lescott on Giggs who made one last run towards the area.

95th minute. Hughes is livid the whistle hasn’t gone as United are given a free kick 45 yards from goal.

And it’s a goal for Michael Owen in the 96th minute! 4-3. Major controversy…

Owen slipped behind SWP. Ferguson is making jokes with 4th official Alan Wiley while Hughes looks like he could seriously hurt someone. Where did the extra two minutes come from?

A great match but from City’s point of view a major injustice. 30 seconds for Bellamy’s goal and 30 seconds for a sub, okay that a 5th extra minute there, but 6 extra minutes?

This will hurt but City have much to be proud of. Next up is Fulham in the League Cup.

Updated: new exclusive interview reveals Hughes almost left in August 2008; Garry Cook repudiates Thaksin.

But in the run-up to Sunday’s Manchester derby, the Guardian is running a detailed special report about the men who own Manchester City, based on a trip journalist David Conn made to Abu Dhabi where he interviewed in depth chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak; and apparently had a guided tour around the emirate. Part one (of three) is linked above; the Guardian is also running a separate interview with Mubarak.

David Conn is unquestionably the leading reporter in the UK on the finances of football. Conn is a relentless critic of the Premier League and its top clubs, and the way money has become concentrated at the top of the English football pyramid while clubs in the lower leagues stay just this side of extinction. Conn is also a long-time Manchester City fan, and was an early and cogent critic of former owner Thaksin Shinawatra. (Included in the articles on City’s ownership are some references to the poor state of City’s finances when Thaksin sold up, a story that has never been fully told.)

It is thus rather striking that Conn appears to be quite impressed by the new ownership group and its plans for City, based on part one at least; I won’t give anything away here, but do read the article for yourself. I’ll post links to parts two and three as they appear in this same thread. See also this interview

As to the derby, the ban on Adebayor has been confirmed to begin Sunday, but Carlos Tevez may beat the clock with his injury recovery to be available. That would be a huge boost for City, to say the least. Not only would Tevez be well up for it–if he could emulate what Adebayor did to Arsenal, minus the controversy, no one at City would complain!–but it would allow Mark Hughes to stick with basically the same tactical scheme that has served the team so well this season.

Less debatable is the fact that Adebayor’s length of the pitch celebration after his goal set of a crowd ruckus that left one stadium steward knocked unconscious for five minutes.

Adebayor’s actions have generated plenty of critical reaction already and there’s no point in trying to defend actions the player himself has already apologized for. Ironically, the Van Persie incident, which requires the FA to judge intent, has probably the more certain outcome (a 3 match ban) than the goal celebration.

In any case City will almost certainly have to do battle at Old Trafford without their early season focal point. Further, Robinho is out 3-4 weeks, Tevez may be out, and Roque Santa Cruz has yet to play for City. Even “yes I’m still here” Benjani, derby hero two seasons ago, is injured.

So City may well have to play with a makeshift front line this Sunday. Probably the most sensible approach would be to continue with the usual back 4, put de Jong, Barry, and Ireland in the midfield, and then have Petrov, Bellamy, and SWP across the top, in what will amount most of the time to a 4-5-1. Given that Bellamy is the only senior striker at this point assured to be available, I don’t see a better way to do it.

And to be sure, that’s still a formidable team–but certainly not as dangerous as the lineup that put four past the Gunners this past Saturday.

City’s favorite ref Mark Clattenburg is in charge of this one. City are going with a slightly more cautious lineup that features Nigel de Jong.

1st minute. Early pressure from Arsenal but Diaby finally loses it over the left touch line.

2nd minute. City are lining up with Bellamy, Adebayor, and SWP across the top, Ireland, Barry, de Jong in midfield, the usual back 4 of Richards, Lescott, Toure, and Bridge with Given in goal.

4th minute. City are struggling to get sustained possession early on but a decent move down the left gives City an attacking throw by the box. Bridge heaves it in the box but it’s cleared easily, then Lescott slips to lose the ball over the line. But Sagna does likewise and City have it back.

6th minute. Tevez and Robinho are out for City, by the way, Arshavin is out for Arsenal.

8th minute. Toure’s ambitious long ball doesn’t find SWP. The match is settling down to an even battle. A good tackle by Bridge there prevents Arsenal from getting a shot away.

10th minute. Adebayor is being booed by Arsenal fans when he touches the ball, but he had some nice control there to get it in the box following a nice chipped pass from Barry. But no one can get a clean strike away. On the recovery Barry held the ball too long in midfield and got caught from behind in possession.

12th minute. Adebayor fouls Fabregas–he came in slightly late and stepped on the Spaniard’s foot. It didn’t look deliberate but the Togo man is slightly lucky to escape yellow.

13th minute. Bendtner wins a corner from Arsenal on the right side. Excellent take leads to a free header for Gallas but he knocks it over the bar. Brilliant bending corner from van Persie. Gallas had the left side of the goal at his mercy but could not take advantage.

14th minute. It’s a yellow for Lescott after he obstructs Denilson. Adebayor heads away the free kick from Fabregas, but Arsenal set up shop again.

15th minute. Ireland and SWP are not getting on the ball enough, but some good hustle by SWP wins the ball back in the box, where he’s fouled to relieve the pressure.

16th minute. SWP can’t quite control that long ball. Arsenal are passing it through the midfield too easily, this time they end up with a low-percentage strike from distance by Sagna that is well over.

18th minute. Rather harsh handball given against Adebayor there as he tried to play a chest trap.

19th minute. Bellamy is fouled by Sagna who is going into the book. Sagna knocked Bellamy over as he started a run.

20th minute. GOAL for City!!!! Incredible stuff, out of nowhere, Micah Richards beats Almunia with a header that floats in off the post, hits Almunia’s head, and goes in!

21th minute. The goal came on the free kick won by Bellamy, Barry with an excellent take from the left to find Richards on the right side of the area about 10 yards from goal. Richards headed it all the way across goal. Replay suggests Almunia got a touch on it with his hand before it struck the post. That was the first thing remotely resembling a shot from City, and it went in.

22nd minute. Arsenal are picking up the pressure, City need a bit of composure here to hold on to this as long as possible. If City can keep the lead, more opportunities on the counter-attack should present themselves as we go along here.

24th minute. Dangerous cross by Clichy through the box is headed away by de Jong. Arsenal have been able to get the ball into wide areas in the attacking third with relative ease but so far the final ball has not been there.

26th minute. Gallas is making some adventuresome runs forward already.

27th minute. Adebayor just coughed the ball up there needlessly and Arsenal come again, but City just manage to get it away. SWP gets a chance to cross from the right but it’s not a good one and Almunia easily takes. Arsenal break and Bendtner plays a cross that Given takes easily.

30th minute. Van Persie got behind there but he is half a yard offside. Neither side has really gotten a good strike on goal off from open play.

31st minute. Slightly surprisingly, the stats show City with 55% possession so far. Still, it seems like Arsenal are passing the ball better and more dangerously.

32nd minute. Another free kick for City from about 40 yards out won be de Jong. Barry puts it in, it’s headed away by Bendtner, Bellamy fires in the rebound that comes off Gallas for a corner. Good corner by Barry but Almunia does very well to beat Adebayor to the ball.

34th minute. SWP doesn’t look as comfortable in his advanced position today. He just wasted possession there with a poorly weighted pass intended for Richards on the overlap down the right.

35th minute. SWP gets another chance to run at the defense one-on-one but loses it inside the box before gettng a cross or shot away.

36th minute. City have a nice break there that sees Bellamy take it all the way to the touch line before crossing over Almunia’s head. Adebayor can’t get there to head it in but does track it down and City keep possession. That long spell of pressure ends with an offside against Barry and Adebayor.

37th minute. Another shot from Arsenal, but it’s a rather desperate effort from distance by Fabregas that doesn’t come close to troubling Given.

38th minute. Wayne Bridge probably leads the team in number of runs with the ball. Somehow he got all the way to the right side of the pitch that time before winning a foul.

40th minute. Some rugged play there with Richards and Diaby battling for the ball at midfield. City get that free kick.

41st minute. As tight as this game has been to this point, one feels a second City goal would be massive. Arsenal got another ball into the box there but again nothing comes of it. The Gunners come yet again but lose it thanks to good work from Bridge… City break well but again SWP loses it in the box.

42nd minute. Decent move by Arsenal results in a shot from an acute angle going behind.

44th minute. That’s much better from Shauny-Wright Wright as he beats Clichy and manages to get a shot away, but it ricochets back off him for a goal kick. City would be happy now to keep the lead intact until halftime.

45th minute. Good work by Bellamy deflects Sagna’s cross, allowing Given to take it. SWP has great hustle to keep hold of the ball, but City’s move breaks down when Ireland comes back to win the ball from an offside position.

46th minute. Arsenal have a corner now after Bridge played that cross behind. That one is headed away and Arsenal have a second corner. Adebayor boots it away and City have a great opening through Ireland, but he can’t find anyone and eventually loses the ball.

There’s the halftime whistle! City lead 1-0 through Micah Richards, and the good news is that City have actually lifted their game since that went in. It’s a set up for a very competitive second half, this is still very much anyone’s match….

They have changed the goal to credit Almunia with an own goal–I hate that ruling, Richards deserves credit for that goal, he put the ball on frame.

46th minute. City kick off. Commentators remind us that a win here would mark the first time since 1986 City have won five in a row in the top flight (the current streak dates back to the final game of last season).

47th minute. City have defended gallantly so far, especially inside the box, but one wonders if City will regret not converting its period of a relative superiority in the latter part of the first half and that wild scramble at the end of the half into another goal.

48th minute. SWP did well to get free there and set up Adebayor; but Arsenal recover well and are able to block Adebayor’s attempted strike. Free kick now given against Richards on the right side just outside the box….

49th minute. Vermaelen got on to the end of that free kick but his header was always going over. Goal kick.

50th minute. Barry wins a foul there 35 yards out, Fabregas took him down. Barry will take it, he floats it a bit too far for Kolo Toure and it goes behind.

52nd minute. It looks like Tomas Rosicky may be coming on shortly. Arsenal will certainly want something to change the tide of this game. Meanwhile Diaby manages to get a corner on the left; but here comes the change. Denilson out, Rosicky in.

53rd minute. Adebayor heads the corner well away. But Arsenal come again. Rosicky gets a shot in from distance after Lescott’s header. It takes a deflection, corner kick..

54th minute. Arsenal took that one short and once again Adebayor was the one to make the clearance. Play stops as Sagna takes a knock, it looks like Bellamy inadvertantly caught him after the jumped together for that header. Meanwhile, Eduardo, Zabaleta, and Vlad Weiss are all warming up.

56th minute. Important challenge there by Toure to keep Fabregas from getting in on goal. Arsenal are picking up the pressure, and they’ve won another corner there.

57th minute. Arsenal come so close there, Gallas got a stooping header away and Given had to save well. It was right at him but with such pace he couldn’t hold it cleanly; City are able to scramble it away. City now are the team that need to change the flow of play.

60th minute. More Arsenal pressure as Vermaelen takes a powerful shot from distance that Given has to save. Van Persie got on to the rebound and ends up winning a corner. City head it away but soon concede a foul outside the box.

62nd minute. City break well there for the first time in a while but Bellamy’s shot ends up being saved easily. Bellamy’s pass for Ireland there wasn’t quite perfect and Ireland had to scramble to keep possession, but he did manage to set Bellamy up for a shot….

63rd minute. But Arsenal have scored!!! Goal for Van Persie. He beat Lescott’s sliding challenge, then turns and plays a perfectly angled shot to level the match.

64th minute. Lescott took a gamble there and paid the price, but it was a great finish as well. City come right back and win a corner.

65th minute. But nothing comes of it. City do get a free kick 40 yards from goal as SWP is held somewhat cynically. De Jong will take this one–no it’s Bellamy. But he can’t find anyone and the ball ends up being played all the way back to Given.

66th minute. The injuries to Tevez and Robinho mean City don’t have a proven game-changer on the bench. But Vlad Weiss might be a good choice after his excellent performance midweek for country. Meanwhile Given has taken a knock after Fabregas lands on him.

68th minute. Given’s back has every right to hurt after feeling the full weight of both the Arsenal man and de Jong, with whom Fabregas was entangled. Given’s run of minutes without conceding a goal in the Premier League went well over 400 minutes, dating back to last season, but now it’s over.

70th minute. Yet more pressure from Arsenal who will certainly feel they should win this game. Bendtner wins a corner.

71th minute. Gallas had a header at the end of a long spell of possession, Vermaelen is whistled offside and the move ends. Gallas might have done better there. Earlier Adebayor and van Persie clashed, and Adebayor appeared to step on the Arsenal man. Nothing was given there but that could have been a yellow on a different day.

73rd minute. Ireland is leaving the match and Martin Petrov is on. Mark Hughes is rolling the dice to shake things up, not a bad idea at the moment.

74th minute. GOAL for CITY!!!! Just like that City turn the game on its head. Micah Richards again is involved in making the goal. Lescott won the ball at midfield, SWP found Richards, who had a nice dribble into the box, then laid it off perfectly for BELLAMY who makes no mistake. 2-1 City!

76th minute. The shot was more power than placement, though it did have a little swerve on it. With that kind of power from 15 yards out, Almunia had very little chance.

77th minute. Petrov had his first dribble there but he played his pass to no one. Apparently what is happening is Petrov will go wide left, Bellamy over to the right, and SWP back into midfield. Meanwhile Eboue and Eduardo are on for Arsenal.

78th minute. Oh no oh no! Adebayor had an incredible run to torture Arsenal, he made it all the way to the byline and squared it for SWP, but the finish goes wide. He beat no fewer than 3 defenders, SWP was coming at pace from across the goal and couldn’t get his foot properly turned to knock it on target.

80th minute. As in the first half, that goal has bouyed City and we now have some decent possession. And it pays off!! GOAL for Adebayor!!!!

80th minute. Adebayor runs the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of Arsenal’s fans–that will be a talking point. As to the goal itself, SWP played a lovely cross and Adebayor headed it to the left corner. Yellow card for Adebayor which is certainly fair enough, but the emotion in that celebration was of an intensity you don’t usually see even in the Premiership. what a moment!!

83rd minute. Adebayor’s busy day continues as he clears a ball off the line (barely) following an Arsenal corner. A penalty shout follows–did the ball strike Barry’s arm? It appears it did but unclear whether it was intentional.

84th minute UNBELIEVABLE!!! SWP scores the 4th! Incredible! City’s entire team celebrates this time. Craig Bellamy own the ball on one end of the pitch, ran 50 yards with the ball, then played SWP perfectly, he chips it past Almunia. Wow.

86th minute. Replay there shows a penalty might have been given against Barry there as the ball struck his arm after coming off an Arsenal head. Still unclear how much he knew about it. But instead of Arsenal scoring on one end, City scored on the other. That was really a fantastic bit of work from Craig Bellamy to make that goal.

87th minute. Mark Hughes would do well to take Adebayor off right now before there are any more scraps or opportunities to pick up a red card. But hold on, Arsenal have scored! 4-2. Rosicky beat the offside trap and easily finished with his left foot past Given. Muted cheers from Arsenal’s fans who must feel shell-shocked.

89th minute. Petrov had a chance to shoot there, he fires hard but wide from just inside the area. Oh dear, Arsenal are not giving up and van Persie hits the post after a brilliant strike.

90th minute. City have switched off just a bit since that 4th goal. Eboue has a crack but it goes wildly off target. 4 minutes of injury time to come; Vlad Weiss will soon come on.

91st minute. Another shot there and Van Persie’s shot is deflected inches wide. City really need to tighten things up.

93rd minute. Finally City keep the ball for a bit but Arsenal have it again. Save for Given down to his left as Bendtner had a crack. Yet another Arsenal corner but City have it away through Petrov who does the right thing, going to the corner flag.

94th minute. Time is up! Weiss never did get into the game but no matter, City have won a massive, massive match with a scintillating offensive outburst in the final 20 minutes.

Arsenal again leave Manchester empty-handed despite often having the upper hand. But from City’s point of view, this was a great, great day. City peaked out emotionally after the 4th goal and to Arsenal’s credit they had a real go all the way till the end. But what about that spell of three goals in 15 minutes! Wow.

This will be a match talked about for some time, and Adebayor’s antagonistic relationship with Arsenal’s supporters will only increase after today’s events. City’s perfect start to the season continues–bring on Manchester United!

Biggest news of the last two weeks was confirmation of Richard Dunne’s move to Aston Villa. The club paid Dunne a nice tribute on its website in announcing the transfer, but Dunne soon made public comments ripping City CEO Garry Cook for his handling of the transfer. The upshot is Dunne apparently feels like he was forced out; it would not be surprising if Dunne had little love lost for Cook after the latter’s comments a summer ago stating that Richard Dunne doesn’t sell shirts in the Far East, an obnoxious comment and unwarranted insult of City’s former captain. This hasn’t been the first and one doubts it will be the last time Cook will be publicly called out. Mark Hughes has chimed in too with a defense of Cook that comes-off as somewhere between half-hearted and unconvincing.

Best of luck to Dunnie at Villa; I was to sorry Villa knocked out of the Europa Cup before Dunne had an opportunity to play in it. City fans by and large were sad to see Dunne go because he is a player we generally liked and because he played a vital role in keeping City in the Premiership during some lean times. Taking Dunne out of the City lineup is like removing a familiar, been-there-for-years chair from your living room. At the same time, few can doubt that this was a good move at this time for all concerned.

Dunne’s old armband is being turned over to Kolo Toure, a fine choice. (Gareth Barry might also have been a plausible option). Toure and early-season star Adebayor get their first crack at their old club Arsenal on Saturday. Arsenal, of course, were brilliant during the first week of the season and could feel both aggrieved and unlucky to have walked away from Old Trafford empty-handed a couple of weeks back.

This is a true test of strength for City. Carlos Tevez is definitely out, meaning Bellamy and Robinho are presumably in alongside Adebayor (though Robinho did pick up a little knock for Brazil last week). Getting 3 points over Arsenal is a big ask of course, but City simply cannot expect to break into the top 4 without holding its own in head-to-head match-ups with the established powers, especially at home.

No extensive preview of Arsenal is necessary, other than to say I expect it to be a tremendous match. We’ll be live-blogging the game here from 3 pm UK time Saturday–see you then!

For City, one change in the team from midweek as Bellamy gets the start ahead of Robinho. Otherwise it’s Given, Richards, Toure, Lescott, Bridge, Wright-Phillips, Ireland, Barry, Adebayor and Tevez. A strong bench with Robinho, Petrov, de Jong, Onuoha, Weiss, Zabaleta and goalkeeper Stuart Taylor.

This has not usually been a happy hunting ground for City. What will happen today?

1st minute. Portsmouth kick if off and before long Kranjcar has knocked it behind for a goal kick. Early mistake by Bridge gifts the ball back to Portsmouth.

3rd minute. City move early to establish some attacking control. A nice ball by Lescott to the wing found Tevez, nothing comes of that move but City maintain possession for a spell. Portsmouth win it briefly but hoof it aimlessly into City’s end.

5th minute. SWP got into the box and was able to play a cross in but Begovic claims it easily. David James is out today with an injury.

7th minute. Very dangerous long ball by Portsmouth left Given in no man’s land just outside the box, but he got a foot to it do deal with the problem.

8th minute. Some decent hustle in the corner by Richards wins a corner kick for City. Barry to take….

9th minute… And a good take it was but City can’t put a head on it. Given again got into a little bit of trouble being closed down rapidly at feet outside of the box. Portsmouth then get into a dangerous position but it’s behind for a goal kick.

11th minute. Excellent shot from Piquionne from outside the box finds side netting. A long ball down the middle found the Portsmouth striker.

12th minute. Ireland with a great interception, then he’s taken down cynically by Hughes and it’s a yellow card. City have a free kick from 35 yards, probably a little too long for a direct shot but we’ll see….

13th minute. Tevez took it, it hooked about 4 yards wide after looking dangerous in the air.

15th minute. Adebayor wins a foul on the right and it’s another free kick in a good area, Barry to take…oh dear City had a great chance off that! Begovic dropped it but City couldn’t knock the loose ball into the net. Richards was there but couldn’t get a clean foot on it, he was off balance to be fair. Portsmouth come the other way and get a corner..

17th minute. Portsmouth actually had 2 corners there but City clear it away and set up shop again.

19th minute. An extended spell of possession ends with Tevez having a dribble and shooting from about 25 yards, but it’s on the ground without real pace, and right at the keeper to boot. Portsmouth come the other way and get a free kick on the left.

20th minute. Which Pompey proceeds to waste. After some battling in midfield City come away with it and comfortably pass the ball around the back. Nice tackle there by Lescott, then he follows up with a through ball to Bellamy, but he can’t quite beat the keeper to the ball…

25th minute. City have yet to carve out a clear chance despite having the better of the play. A couple of crosses there from Bridge and Barry on the left are blocked away.

26th minute. SWP wins a foul near midway, then Ireland is caught by Michael Brown for another foul in quick succession. Ireland winces but he’ll be okay. Stats say 55% possession for City so far.

27th minute. That play doesn’t come to anything either, Ireland floated a hopeful ball through the box but there was no one there.

29th minute. City have done nothing so far to make Robinho feel his exclusion is justified. But maybe City can find some rhythm before the break. Richards wins a corner on the right side…

30th minute. GOAL for City! Adebayor heads it in from 6 yards on Barry’s excellent corner. He made that ball his, jumped well, headed powerfully and unstoppably. Just like that City lead.

32nd minute. Pompey raise their game and get it into the box, but can’t get a clear shot off. Portsmouth now have a free kick 45 yards from goal. SWP wins a foul from Kaboul in the corner and City will get out of this one.

34th minute. Blue Moon has been ringing around the ground. Where are the chimes of Pompey? Let’s see if City can improve its play after that goal. Nice run by Richards to win that corner and set up the chance leading to the goal, by the way.

37th minute. Same pattern of play sets in with City having more of the ball. City really don’t look like breaking Portsmouth down from half-court sets as it were, to take a basketball term. But they’ve got a goal off a corner and might be able to get a few more set piece opportunities. Either that or a good counter-attack.

39th minute. Nice tackle by Mullins on SWP, Portsmouth try to counter but Hughes plays the ball too wide and it’s a throw-in cof Rcity. Adebayor comes back on the left and manages to win a corner on that side. SWP to take?

40th minute. No it’s Tevez, but he find the first Portsmouth head….a couple of moments later Richards has it in the net but the goal is disallowed for offside. Barry was the man offside. SWP had recovered the corner, played it to Tevez, who found Bellamy, whose cross was knocked in by Richards. So unlucky for Richards that won’t count, he did nothing wrong.

42nd minute. Vanden Borre wins that one away from Bellamy…replay shows that goal by Richards possibly could have been allowed as Barry wasn’t really in the play, but he was clearly offside far post when the cross came in.

44th minute. Some great hustle by Adebayor sets up a chance for Barry, his shot is apparently blocked and it’s a corner. Howard Webb talking down Bellamy. Barry’s corner isn’t as good this time but Mullins puts it behind and he’ll get another chance.

45th minute. That was better but it’s headed behind again this time by Piquionne. Bellamy walks over to take it from the other side. It’s a good one too but a City head can’t reach it. Portsmouth counter but again nothing comes of it, they have had major problems stringing passes together out of the back.

Webb blows the whistle and it’s halftime. 1-0 City. Hasn’t been a pretty match but City look very solid at the back, and that may be enough today.

46th minute. City kick things off for the second half, both sides appear to be unchanged. Let’s see if there any tactical adjustments in style of play. City give it away cheaply in their own half, Brown took a pop but it was blocked.

47th minute. Brown had the ball in the net but the play had stopped and Given let his shot fly in. Brown was whistled harshly for a handball on the initial block of Toure’s pass. Richards had just about closed him down before the whistle went, but that was still a bit harsh on Pompey.

49th minute. That Italian guy who manages England is as ever in the stands…which may help explain why Richards is giving such a good effort. City had a half chance, Adebayor played a dummie inside the box but no one made the run in behind to smack that one in.

51st minute. Adebayor fouled on the edge of the box. Not sure that was a foul but City have a free kick on the left a yard outside the box. Tevez and Bellamy stand over the ball. Bellamy strikes it well but Kaboul heads it over.

53rd minute. Barry played the succeeding corner, Begovic went high to get a punch to it and City have a throw on the left. Adebayor brilliantly skins two defenders, then shoots hard from a tight angle but Begovic saves well.

54th minute. Richards is in a very industrious mood, he dribbles well to get into the box and win another corner. Barry switches things up by playing it on the floor outside the box to Ireland, whose one-time shot goes over the bar.

56th minute. Toure picked it up in the center of the park and dribbled all the way into shooting range, but his effort is on the ground and easily dealt with by Begovic. City need to translate their current pressure into a second goal.

58th minute. Richards is sitting on the ground apparently with an injury. The physio seems to be looking at his knee. Richards is hobbling off, he may be done for today after an excellent display.

59th minute. Great tackle by Tevez relieved the pressure for 10-man City, the ball is worked over to Bellamy who fires a shot right at Begovic. City still don’t have a replacement for Richards on.

60th minute. Fortunately Portsmouth waste another ball over the end line and that gives Zabaleta time to come on for his league debut this season.

61th minute. Zabaleta’s first touch is a useful one, he found Adebayor with a long pass up the right side who was cynically fouled at the half way line. Zab will take the free kick, he finds Adebayor’s head but Portsmouth get the second ball. Barry whistled for hand ball at midfield and Portsmouth get it into the box, but Kranjcar’s cross is not headed cleanly by Kaboul. Goal kick.

64th minute. Nice one-two between Bellamy and Adebayor in the box doesn’t quite come off…great hustle by Bellamy wins the ball right back, but City lose it a couple of moments later.

66th minute. Piquionne runs into Zabaleta on the edge of the box but Webb gives nothing. Poor give away by Lescott in the back leads to a good opportunity for Portsmouth, but Zabaleta’s head helps get that away.

67th minute. SWP wins a corner down the right side. The corner fell to Toure whose slightly awkward strike goes wide.

68th minute. A bit of a scramble in the box for a moment there as SWP tried to play Ireland in. Utaka is coming on now for Portsmouth, Smith is off. Might Robinho soon make an appearance? Hard to see who should come off but one feels a bit of Brazilian skill could put this match to bed.

71th minute. Good tackle by Barry, but SWP plays a very unwise square ball that’s intercepted. Fortunately City clear that one away too. Portsmouth are trying to pick up the pace in search of an equalizer.

72nd minute. Offside on Piquionne relieves the pressure. This game may get more open the last 20 minutes as Pompey push forward. Mullins gets forward to take a shot that is deflected behind for a corner.

73rd minute. Kanu is coming on for Piquionne. Toure will try to mark him on the corner. City get that away for a moment, but Bellamy is caught in possession. Kaboul has the chance to strike from distance, but it’s a defender’s shot that goes well over the bar.

76th minute. Good chance for City there, Adebayor set up Barry but he is tackled inside the box before he can get a shot away. Nigel de Jong is entering the game and it’s Ireland who is off. This looks a sensible move by Mark Hughes.

77th minute. Testing cross by Kanu is taken by Given. Adebayor gets it on the counter but can’t get a shot a way. Utaka back the other way for Pompey and he goes very close!

78th minute. Phew! That was the best effort of the day for Portsmouth, he went for the far corner from the right hand side and just put it a couple of yards past the post. City are hanging on, but here’s Adebayor again winning the ball and then winning a foul 25 yards from goal.

80th minute. Bellamy’s free kick was at the wall but Pompey make a hash of the clearance and City get a corner. After some head tennis Adebayor nodded it towards goal but Begovic saves easily.

81st minute. Yellow card for Zabaleta as he tackles Kanu from behind. It wasn’t a bad tackle but it was from behind. Free kick 45 yards from goal, the ball eventually falls to Hughes but he gets that very very wrong–well over the bar.

83rd minute. Adebayor looked like he was held back as he tried to meet Tevez’s cross there at the penalty spot, but there’s no call.

84th minute. City have not really taken off the pedal going forward, still playing for a second. Tevez’s pass finds Howard Webb however and City lose possession momentarily.

86th minute. 5 minutes for City to hang on! City have it down the left side after good pressure forces Portsmouth to give it up.

87th minute. SWP fires almost comically wide after an excellent move to get into the box. A hit-and-hoper finds the stands. Dave Nugent is coming on for Hughes.

88th minute. Great chance for Portsmouth there but Given saves from Nugent! He was open from about 8 yards.

89th minute. City come back smartly the other way and SWP’s good cross is cleared out for a throw. Replay of that move shows how Nugent got away from Zabaleta, then played a perfect chest trap to himself to set up his right foot. With the goal gaping, he found Given’s left hand.

90th minute. Penalty shout for SWP after some superb work in the corner area. He got into the box and then got tackled from behind by Kaboul. Webb judges he got the ball, but Mark Hughes and SWP didn’t think so. 3 minutes of injury time to go.

92nd minute. Pompey get another chance, Given saves from Utaka’s weak header after a very dangerous cross from the left.

93rd minute. City bring it forward but lose possession. Lescott clears and Tevez is brought down in the box, but no penalty! But it doesn’t really matter as time is up and City have won the game.

1-0 to City in a deserved win. City never looked like scoring a hatful today, but had the better of the play and were able to keep Portsmouth from stringing anything convincing together in attack. Time after time Pompey got the ball only to lose it again after one or two passes.

Portsmouth did go close a couple of times, once through Utaka and near the end on Nugent’s chance, but City survive. Adebayor was excellent again today for City, the focal point of attack after attack, and Bellamy’s hard running justified his selection. A good shift from Tevez as well, running everywhere.

So that’s 9 points from 9 for City. Next up in the league after the international break will be Arsenal, the biggest test of the season so far for City.