Player ratings: Manchester City v Blackburn Rovers

Given – Failed to come out for a couple of balls into the box. It was noticeable that when Kompany was out of position he did come and punch clear, so he is capable of it. He’s still great at keeping the back four on their toes mind. 6

Zabaleta – Misjudged a few balls and picked up a booking for a typical reckless foul. His passing and link up play were improved. 7

Richards – What a run! If his confidence was low under the Hughes era, then it must be sky high now. Showed his focus by making a clearance immediately after scoring, and was excellent defensively. 8

Kompany – The heavy touch that allowed Rovers to score was a real shame as he was awesome otherwise. His ability on the ball and passing give an extra dimension to our play from the back. 7

Garrido – Slotted in effectively and was never caught out defensively. Nothing spectacular when going forward but we didn’t need it. 7

Petrov – Didn’t look happy about spending so much time on the right wing. Still dangerous when he put his mind to it. 6

de Jong – Some crunching tackles in the first half. It’s good to see him move forward on occasions as his passing is often underrated. 8

Barry – Not as dominant as against Stoke but did ok. Like de Jong, he sometimes retreats a little to deep for comfort. 7

Bellamy – Blackburn sought to double up on him as his pace threatened to cause more problems than it actually did. 6

Tevez – He’d be a great player if only he scored goals to go with all the unselfish work. Now he does! 9

Benjani – Three assists, even if two were intended shots! A surprise to see him start, but he worked hard and got the rewards. 6

Subs:

Robinho – Introduced when we were having a wobble; his touch, technique and vision took the game to Rovers and helped us regain the initiative. Tested Robinson in the Blackburn goal and provided an assist for Tevez in the second consecutive league game. 7

Santa Cruz – Came on for a flagging Benjani and, like Robinho, helped us regain the initiative. Held the ball up well, laid it off neatly, and showed some pace in getting away from the Blackburn defence. Could be forgiven for shooting rather than passing when playing against his former club. 7

Boyata – A surprise to see Mancini rejig the defence in the final couple of minutes. Dedryck barely had time for a touch. No mark.

Man of the match: Carlos Tevez.