Manchester City vs Sunderland (3-3) Balotelli Goal vs Sunderland 31/03/2012

Premier League game between Manchester City and Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday March 31, 2012. Manchester City produced a dramatic late fightback to avoid defeat against Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium, but Roberto Mancini’s men still handed the title initiative to Manchester United by failing to claim a last-gasp victory.

Trailing 3-1 with five minutes to go, City’s 15-month unbeaten home record in the league appeared destined to end after two Seb Larsson goals and a Nicklas Bendtner header had put Sunderland firmly in control.

But although Mario Balotelli and Aleksandar Kolarov scored in the dying minutes to earn a 3-3 draw, United can now move five points clear if they win their game in hand at Blackburn on Monday. This sparked Mancini's side into action and, in mitigation, they fought back well. The arguments will flare regarding the Edin Dzeko penalty he won when coming together with Craig Gardner and it was also unclear why, after Phil Dowd awarded the spot-kick, he did not offer Gardner the second yellow card that would have reduced the visitors to 10 men. Whatever, Balotelli stepped up to slot home.

For City disaster struck when Sunderland collected their third: Sessègnon once more wandered through the home side's midfield before he fed Bendtner, whose delivery was finished by Larsson for his second.

This led to the introduction of Carlos Tevez – for David Silva – and when moments later Balotelli and Kolarov had a dispute about who should take a free-kick this appeared to symbolise City's afternoon.

But, at least, both the Italian and the defender would go on to score and claim what may yet be a precious point.