Anelka class gains points for City

Blackburn 2 Man City 3

Manchester City stand at the top of the Premiership table for the first time in their history after Nicolas Anelka’s late strike settled a contest littered with goal-keeping errors.

Brad Friedel and David Seaman may be the best keepers in the land but both were culpable on two occasions as a scrappy tussle ended in a fascinating trial of strength and guile before City finally shaded the contest.

City full-back Michael Tarnat began the scoring, and in sensational style with a blistering 40-yard free-kick, before a Trevor Sinclair own-goal saw Blackburn go level just before half-time.

Joey Barton grabbed the lead for the visitors again only for Lorenzo Amoruso to put Rovers on level terms once again, then Anelka struck with three minutes to go.

Both sides had started in a similar position: both scraped a point with a last-minute equaliser on Saturday and both were on four points from their first two league games and knowing that victory would see them go top of the league.

Blackburn were handed a good opportunity in the second minute when Dwight Yorke had his heels clipped right on the edge of the City box but Steven Reid rammed the free-kick straight into the defensive wall.

A minute later, Tarnat showed him just how it should be done as he scored his first goal for City, except in this case the free-kick was from 39 yards rather than 19.

Martin Taylor fouled Antoine Sibierski and Tarnat stepped up to hammer a quite astonishing swerving free-kick which arrowed low into the corner of the net with Brad Friedel – showing he is human after all – only managing to get his fingertips to the ball when he should perhaps have done better.

A superb back-heel by Anelka set up Shaun Wright-Phillips for a shooting chance but he drove wide, then Vratislav Gresko set up Reid, Seaman pulled off an excellent parry and when the ball dropped to Yorke he could only direct it wide of the gaping goalmouth.

Anelka, menacing throughout, thrashed a rising drive too high before the game drifted into a period of cat and mouse: all darts, dodges and plenty of energy but precious little in terms of goalmouth incident.

Two minutes before the break Andy Cole had a 20-yard effort deflected wide, and from Brett Emerton’s corner Trevor Sinclair headed into his own net. It was a bad goal to concede – Sinclair was unmarked and Seaman came for the ball without appearing to call for it and the winger headed it neatly over his keeper and into the net.

Both sides upped the pace in the second half, and Garry Flitcroft brought a smart save from Seaman after picking up an astute pass from Emerton.

City hit back and Sinclair attempted to make up for his own goal but Friedel came sliding out to block, then in quick succession Wright-Phillips and Anelka both struck low drives narrowly wide from 20 yards.

Seaman was forced into a low save from Emerton after Distin had given the ball away carelessly before City produced the best move of the match so far – and one they should have scored from.

A slick move ended with Anelka feinting to shoot from the edge of the ’D’ and instead sliding a pass out to the unmarked Sibierski on the left. He could easily have scored, should definitely have hit the target, but did neither and Rovers breathed again.

Their relief was shortlived however as Barton broke through lacklustre challenges from Amoruso and Martin Taylor to find himself one-on-one with Friedel and finished calmly to the keeper’s left.

Souness must have been fuming but his rage would have been assuaged as two minutes later Blackburn equalised for a second time. Emerton swung in another penetrating flag-kick and Amoruso thumped home an emphatic header with Seaman once again caught in no-man’s land.

Sibierski was badly off-target again after more good work by Anelka and Wright-Phillips, then French striker Anelka tested Friedel with a looping header.

As the clocked ticked down Blackburn pressed forward in search of a winner. Substitutes David Thompson and Matt Jansen combined for the striker to force Seaman into a scrambling save with a diving header, then Tugay missed by a whisker with a deflected effort.

Anelka settled the game with three minutes to go, chasing down Amoruso’s poor header before firing through Friedel’s legs from the narrowest of angles.