Verdict: Manchester City 1 Blackpool 0

City continued their excellent Christmas form with a deflected Adam Johnson shot providing the only goal in a victory over Blackpool. It should have been more, but Carlos Tevez kept the game interesting by reverting to his Manchester United form – showing plenty of skill and enthusiasm without being able to finish.

Roberto Mancini’s temper was raised early on as both returning full-backs, Boateng and Kolarov, were slack in their defensive duties. This prompted the manager to have Zabaleta and Richards warming up after only a couple of minutes.