Manchester City survived a scare at Ewood Park as they hung on for a replay against Championship side Blackburn Rovers in a pulsating FA Cup clash.
Last year's beaten finalists looked on course to reach the fourth round when Alvaro Negredo fired them into the lead before half-time.
But Scott Dann deservedly levelled for Rovers and City had to play a nervous last nine minutes, including stoppage time, with 10 men after defender Dedryck Boyata was sent off for his second booking near the end.
A replay was probably not on the wish-list before kick-off for City boss Manuel Pellegrini, who already has a crowded fixture list in January that includes both legs of his side's Capital One Cup semi-final with West Ham.
Rovers were neat and tidy in possession from the start and looked dangerous down the flanks in the early stages, but their final ball into the box did not always punish some hesitant defending.
City were initially out of sorts going forward too but began to build some pressure around the half-hour mark and soon produced the game's first real opening.
Boyata did well to find David Silva with a pull-back from the right but the Spaniard made a mess of his finish, blazing his shot high over the bar.
If that chance was a hint that City could create a goal out of nothing, Negredo's opener proved it.
The Spanish striker struck on the stroke of half-time, turning in Edin Dzeko's header from Silva's cross.
Blackburn's frustration was shown when Rovers duo Grant Hanley and Chris Taylor were involved in a shoving row as the players walked off for the break.
But Rovers, who lie 10th in the Championship, continued to attack their more illustrious hosts after the break, and got their reward when Dann fired home in the 54th minute.
The centre-back, reportedly a target of Crystal Palace during the January transfer window, reacted first when City keeper Costel Pantilimon fumbled Rudy Gestede's header and sidefooted home.
City were rattled and Blackburn, who caused one of the biggest shocks of last season's FA Cup when they knocked out Arsenal at the Emirates in the fifth round, clearly scented another upset here.
They fired a succession of balls into the area to test a jittery City defence, with Pantilimon looking an uncertain presence behind them.
City were still threatening at the other end, and Negredo should have done better with his header after former England keeper Paul Robinson, returning after a year out with illness, had kept out Dzeko's snap-shot.
Jesus Navas came off the bench to force Robinson into another diving save and City looked more likely to get a winner.
But Boyata's dismissal turned the last few minutes into a survival mission for the visitors, and Blackburn could have snatched a famous victory when Tom Cairney's shot whistled a few inches wide.
Blackburn Rovers
- 01 Robinson
- 27 Henley
- 03 Spurr
- 06 Lowe
- 16 Dann
- 05 Hanley
- 45 Cairney
- 19 Taylor
- 39 Gestede (Rhodes - 81' )
- 17 Williamson (King - 64' )
- 12 Marshall (Campbell - 81' )
Substitutes
- 04 Kilgallon
- 07 King
- 10 Campbell
- 11 Rhodes
- 13 Eastwood
- 23 Rochina
- 25 Judge
Manchester City
- 30 Pantilimon
- 38 Boyata Dismissed after an earlier booking
- 22 Clichy
- 25 Fernandinho (Yaya Touré - 64' )
- 06 Lescott
- 33 Nastasic Booked
- 07 Milner
- 14 Javi García
- 10 Dzeko
- 09 Negredo (Jesús Navas - 74' )
- 21 Silva (Zabaleta - 88' )
Substitutes
- 01 Hart
- 04 Kompany
- 05 Zabaleta
- 13 Kolarov
- 15 Jesús Navas
- 42 Yaya Touré
- 64 Mesquita Lopes
Ref: Michael Oliver
Att: 18,813
Live Text Commentary
Full time
87:28
84:30
79:32
Full Time
Match ends, Blackburn Rovers 1, Manchester City 1.
90:00
+4:00
Full time
Full Time
Second Half ends, Blackburn Rovers 1, Manchester City 1.
90:00
+2:09
Attempt missed. Jordan Rhodes (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by DJ Campbell.
90:00
+0:28
Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Jason Lowe.
88:12
Offside, Blackburn Rovers. Grant Hanley tries a through ball, but Jordan Rhodes is caught offside.
87:56
Substitution
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester City. Pablo Zabaleta replaces David Silva.
87:28
Corner, Blackburn Rovers. Conceded by Joleon Lescott.
86:06
Attempt missed. Tom Cairney (Blackburn Rovers) left footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by DJ Campbell.
84:40
Dismissal
Dismissal
Second yellow card to Dedryck Boyata (Manchester City) for a bad foul.
84:30
Foul by Dedryck Boyata (Manchester City).
84:30
DJ Campbell (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
83:43
Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Adam Henley.
82:37
Attempt missed. DJ Campbell (Blackburn Rovers) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Jordan Rhodes with a cross.
81:30
Attempt missed. Jesús Navas (Manchester City) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by James Milner following a fast break.
80:23
Substitution
Substitution
Substitution, Blackburn Rovers. DJ Campbell replaces Ben Marshall.
80:07
Substitution
Substitution
Substitution, Blackburn Rovers. Jordan Rhodes replaces Rudy Gestede.
79:32
Attempt missed. Yaya Touré (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
79:06
Attempt blocked. James Milner (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
78:39
Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Scott Dann.
76:49
Attempt missed. Javi García (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by David Silva with a cross following a corner.
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