Premier League: Man City 1 Blackpool 0

Manchester City survived a Carlos Tevez off-day to start the New Year with a 1-0 win over Blackpool to keep the pressure on the top sides.

The Argentine talisman missed a penalty and a bagful of gilt-edged chances as City got an almighty scare from Ian Holloway’s Premier League newboys.

Adam Johnson hit the winner with a deflected first half strike, but Blackpool almost made them pay for the their missed chances as they piled on the pressure in the closing minutes at Eastlands.

Both sides started on the front foot, with Tevez dragging a shot inches wide in the first 30 seconds while Gary Taylor-Fletcher brought a smart save from Joe Hart with a 12-yard curler.

David Silva fired narrowly wide after good work from Tevez and the striker then tried his luck himself forcing Richard Kingson to tip over as City began to get on top.

And the breakthrough finally came in the 35th minute when Taylor-Fletcher’s poor headed clearance from a corner dropped to Johnson on the edge of the box and the England winger fired it lowinto the corner via a slight but pivotal deflection off Stephen Crainey.

City should have doubled their lead a minute later from the penalty spot after David Vaughan brought down Yaya Toure as he broke into the box, but Tevez uncharacteristically rolled his shot wide of the target.

Blackpool boss Ian Holloway brought on exciting winger Matt Phillips at half time and the teenager immediately drove at the City defence and forced a good save from Hart.

At the other end, Tevez rounded the keeper but slipped as he turned to roll the ball into the net and then he scuffed a shot wide from the penalty spot after great work from James Milner.

And Blackpool almost nicked a point late on when a spectacular Neal Eardley drive was tipped over by Hart as it headed for the top corner.