Despite taking six points from them this season now, Holloway's "surprise" package have been a tough opponent for City this campaign. They were an entirely different proposition from Aston Villa earlier this week: a side full of confidence and boasting the league's second best away record (second to City!). We had to sit through a nervy ending, yet the game could have been very different if it wasn't for wasteful finishing.
On another day Carlos Tevez may have scored four goals: the penalty miss, his slip when he had rounded Kingson, the open goal he flashed wide from a pull-back, plus one from a number of slightly less presentable chances. Every miss made him more determined and slightly less composed (the shots were lashed wide with increasing ferocity/frustration), to the point that by the third miss on my list he raised his hand in apology to the fans. It was just one of those days for him, but consolation can be taken from how many scoring positions he got himself into.
The flip-side to not putting the chances away is the nerves towards the end. Blackpool played with some style at times - led by the deep-lying orchestrator Charlie Adam - and the introduction of Matt Phillips at half-time gave the City back-line something to think about. Kolarov, who doesn't look too comfortable with pacey wingers, was withdrawn as a result. Credit has to go to Blackpool for attacking City - very few teams do at Eastlands nowadays - but the game should have been over by half-time.
One slack back-pass threatened to ruin it, but Joleon Lescott had another top quality game at centre half covering for the absence of Kolo Toure. He has been open to criticism this season but this has largely been because he has been playing at left-back - where his clumsy passing is more exposed. At centre-half he has looked dominant and full of confidence. January must be a time of worry for players who are on the fringes of the team, as Lescott was, but he is responding to that pressure in the right way at the moment.
Nigel de Jong rightly won the man of the match award and showed none of the effects of playing an important part in all of City's games over the festive period in a typically energetic display.
Adam Johnson got his reward for his fine display against Aston Villa with another start here. Once again he showed a more measured performance and is beginning to prove that he is up to the challenge of becoming more of a team player.
City have taken maximum points post-Christmas to remain [joint] top going into the game at the Emirates on Wednesday night. There will be an anxious wait to see if David Silva will be fit for that game - considering how important he has become to the team - but Ballotelli, fresh from a humorous exclusive with the Mail that shows it is not all frowns and tantrums, should be available to make his return.
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