1977
Brian Kidd bags four goals on his 300th career league appearance as City thrash Leicester City 5-0 at Maine Road to keep the pressure on Liverpool in the battle for the Division One title.
It takes Kidd’s tally to 11 league goals for the campaign as he hits a rich vein of form over the Christmas and New Year period with 10 goals in seven matches.
2011
Darren Bent’s 18th-minute goal is enough to give Aston Villa 1-0 win over the title chasing Blues. The loss at Villa Park leaves City three points behind leaders United.
2012
City’s title bid gets a huge shot in the arm after a dramatic 3-2 win over Spurs at the Etihad.
Two goals in three minutes from Samir Nasri and Joleon Lescott just before the hour-mark had given Roberto Mancini’s side a commanding lead, but goals from Jermain Defoe and Gareth Bale on 60 and 65 minutes pulled the visitors level.
Defoe was inches away from sliding in a third and the game seemed to be heading for a draw, until Mario Balotelli was felled in the box in the dying seconds. Of course, there was only going to be one man who would step up and Mario coolly stroked home the winner to give City a crucial three points.
