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A rather disappointing game with little goalmouth action. Rovers tested James more but Wright-Phillips wasted a glorious chance and could have had a penalty.
Man City make another change and take off Robbie Fowler and bring on Bradley Wright-Phillips.
Defences have been very much on top in this game and there has still been little for either keeper to do.
Aaron Mokoena gets the ball in midfield and rather wastefully shoots into the crowd from 30 yards out.
Manchester City make a substitution and replace Kiki Musampa with Lee Croft.
Blackburn Rovers decide to make another change and take off Pedersen for Paul Gallagher.
A long thrown into the City box falls to Jonathan Stead but his shot is gathered by James at the second attempt.
Barton latches onto a Matteo clearance and his goal-bound 25 yarder is deflected away by Nelsen.
Marj Hughes decides to make a change and replaces Robbie Savage with David Thompson.
Musampa does well down the left and his square ball finds Wright-Phililps 12 yards out, but he scuffs his shot wide.
Rovers raise the tempo and force a number of corners in quick succession.
Pedersen whips over another great corner but Stephen Reid can only glance his header wide.
Man City have come into the game a bit more but still neither keeper has had too much to do.
The ball breaks to Robbie Fowler 25 yards out who drills his shot just wide of the target.
Blackburn have started this second half well but are lacking that final ball to open up City.
Rovers take a long throw into the box that is cleared as far as Matteo but his 20 yard deflected shot is saved well by James.
The home side force another corner that is flicked on at the near post but Todd is always stretching and the ball goes over.
Pedersen plays a corner to Emerton on the edge of the box but he doesn't get hold of his shot and James makes a comfortable save.
There no changes at half time and Blackburn Rovers get the game restarted.
Man City are marginally on top but there have been few chances to speak of.
Jonathan Stead goes for an ambitious volley 25 yards out but it is well off target.
City are offering more of a threat than Rovers but both defences aer well on top.
Folwer heads the ball into the back of the net but the goal is disallowed for a foul on Brad Friedel.
City's midfield is causing Blackburn problems but they can't find the final ball while Stead for Rovers is often isolated up front.
City have certainly settled the better of the two sides and are gradually getting on top of the hosts.
Claudio Reyna sends a cross to the far post and Musampa heads back across goal but Sibierski can't keep his header down.
Man City feed Shaun Wright-Phillips in the box and he goes down under a challenge from Matteo but nothing is given.
Jonathan Stead surges forward and his left footed drive from 20 yards out has David James scrambling across his goal.
Man City, being the away side, will be happier with the start that they have made to his game.
Both teams are guilty of giving the ball away and so far the game lacks any fluency.
The game has settled down but neither team has taken the initiative and there has been little goalmouth action.
Morten Gamst Pedersen whips over a great corner that David James just manages to claw away with Todd lurking.
Kiki Musampa feeds Joey Barton who is allowed to run 30 yards but his 25 yard drive goes wide.
It has been a fairly open game so far although no real chances have been created as yet.
Man City counter and feed Robbie Fowler but his impudent chip is saved by Brad Friedel.
The ball breaks to Lucas Neill on the edge of the box but his driven shot is a couple of yards wide.
It has been a scrappy start as both teams are conceding unnecessary free kicks.
Manchester City get the game underway.
England goalkeeper David James pulled off two outstanding saves to prevent Jonathan Stead scoring for the first time at Ewood Park this season as Manchester City earned a 0-0 draw at Blackburn Rovers.. It meant that the two sides, both in a rich vein of form, cancelled each other out on a day when Rovers made mathematically certain of Premiership survival. James denied Stead with a smart save in the first half and then pulled off an acrobatic effort to keep out the England Under-21 star late on as Blackburn had the better of the second half. Having conceded only once in their last eight Premier League matches, Blackburn are building a reputation as a resolute defensive unit and there was nothing the likes of Robbie Fowler and Shaun Wright-Phillips could do to put a dent in Rovers resolve. Blackburn opened the brighter of the two with Lucas Neill firing just wide before Fowler tested Brad Friedel with a shot from long range. Joey Barton might have done better for the visitors when he raced through on goal but he chose to shoot from distance when there were perhaps better options either side. City had claims for a penalty in the 28th minute when a clumsy challenge by Dominic Matteo sent Wright-Phillips sprawling, but referee Chris Foy was unimpressed. City had the ball in the net via a Blackburn defender but the effort was quite rightly cancelled out after Fowler had been found guilty of a clear push. After a fairly tedious opening half Rovers upped the tempo and started to ask questions of a City defence in which James and Sylvain Distin were outstanding. Brett Emerton brought a good save from James when he met a corner from Morten Gamst Pedersen while Andy Todd, the Rovers skipper, was only just too high from another Pedersen corner. Matteo, very strong and solid at full-back, had a shot deflected which James did well to save at the second attempt with Stead sliding in hopefully, but failing to make contact when the ball broke free. Blackburn's dominance continued with both Ryan Nelsen and Steven Reid heading wide from set-piece situations. City had another claim for a penalty waved away when Neill appeared to bundle over Antoine Sibierski. The City striker was incensed, but both referee and his assistant were in the perfect position to make their decision. After Stead had been denied yet again by James the game started to fizzle out, although there was still time for Aaron Mokoena to get possession in a promising position only to miscue his shot on an afternoon of missed opportunities. Man of the Match: David James - Often criticised for unfortunate errors, James was at his best - just ask Jonathan Stead.
Corners
Fouls
Goal attempts
Shots off target
Offsides
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