19 Oct 2009

City miss a chance to go into top 4

6:47 am on 19 October 2009

Big-spending Manchester City missed the chance to move into the English Premier football League top four when they were held to a 1-all draw at Wigan Athletic.

Martin Petrov's equaliser one minute into the second half earned City a point but their hopes of pushing for a win were hampered by the sending-off of Argentine right back Pablo Zabaleta for a second yellow card.

City remain fifth with 17 points from eight matches, five behind champions Manchester United who top the table having played one more game.

Fierce local rivals Blackburn Rovers and Burnley squared up in the top flight of English football for the first time in 43 years at Ewood Park and Rovers edged a gripping Lancashire derby 3-2.

First-half goals by David Dunn, Franco Di Santo and Pascal Chimbonda cancelled out Robbie Blake's stunning early opener for Burnley before Chris Eagles pulled one back for the visitors in the closing stages.