Edin Dzeko's first Premier League goal allowed Manchester City to take control of the battle for a place in next season's Champions League and plunge Blackburn Rovers deeper into relegation trouble.
City spent the first 20 minutes slicing Blackburn open with almost surgical precision, with David Silva and Adam Johnson finding time and space to do as they pleased and the home side finding it difficult to break out of their own half.
Mario Balotelli was notionally leading City's attack, with the £27m striker Dzeko again left on the bench. After coming on as a substitute in the 73rd minute Dzeko scored with virtually his first touch of the ball a minute later, and if these points help secure City a top-four finish they will consider it £27m well spent. Dzeko has been a slow starter in the Premier League, though at least his decisive reaction when a David Silva shot arrived at his feet in front of goal put his fellow City strikers to shame.
The visitors outplayed Blackburn for much of the game but struggled to find the finishing touch to their superiority in most other parts of the pitch, and without Dzeko's intervention may have had to settle for a tame draw.
The Bosnian's goal saw City establish a firm grip on fourth place and open up a four-point gap on closest rivals Tottenham after a performance that relied more on resilience than sparkle at Ewood Park.
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| Roberto Mancini |
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| Yaya Toure |
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| Edin Dzeko |
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