Manchester City slump to Norwich City

It was only the Blues' second home defeat in 48 Premier League games on their first appearance at the Etihad Stadium since losing the FA Cup final and sacking manager Roberto Mancini.

With a subdued crowd showing banners and chanting support for Mancini throughout, the home side, with Brian Kidd in caretaker charge, were largely culpable as they went down to a Norwich side who had only secured their Premier League safety with last week's 4-0 win over West Brom.

The hosts have the tightest defence in the top flight but were caught out twice for Norwich's opening two goals, and then allowed Howson to progress virtually unchallenged for the winner.

But that is not to detract from the performance of Chris Hughton's men, who were inspired by the endeavour of Wes Hoolahan and Robert Snodgrass to climb to 11th in the table, their highest top-flight finish since 1993.

Only QPR and Stoke had scored fewer Premier League goals than Norwich before Sunday, but for their season's finale the Canaries provided a constant attacking threat.

Ryan Bennett had already had a header cleared off the line when the visitors took a deserved lead. With Yaya Toure ponderous in defence, Hoolahan's persistence eventually released Pilkington, who coolly slotted past Hart.

The hosts had been subdued until that point, but were sufficiently jolted that Norwich's lead lasted only three minutes.

Samir Nasri fed the ball into Edin Dzeko, whose one touch was enough to free Rodwell for his first goal since moving to the Etihad from Everton last summer.

But the equaliser only served to galvanise Norwich in turn, who went close through Snodgrass, Russell Martin and Bradley Johnson either side of the break.

The visitors deservedly regained the lead, but not without the help of more slack home defending.

Howson's sweet cross-field ball found an unmarked Snodgrass on the right of the Blues' box, and when he slid it across goal Holt went unchallenged to apply a simple finish.

Again, however, Norwich's lead did not last long. With Manchester City struggling to clear, Toure arrived to collect the ball, carry it forward and find the run of Rodwell down the Norwich left.

Rodwell's pace was too much for Steven Whittaker and he was able to find the net with a shot across John Ruddy.

Still Norwich, and Howson in particular, refused to roll over. From inside his own half, he progressed all the way into the Manchester City box and gave Norwich the lead for a third time with a clinical finish.

The final 20 minutes featured plenty of frantic Norwich defending, but the Canaries held out to send Manchester City to their post-season tour of the United States - and the potential appointment of Manuel Pellegrini as Mancini's successor - on the back of a defeat.

- BBC