Manchester City 1 - 1 West Ham United

This match surely couldn't be any more tedious than the dire fare these two teams served up last Wednesday in their will-to-live-sapping FA Cup third-round replay - and thankfully it was not. Manchester City and West Ham shared the spoils this afternoon at Eastlands in a game which, while far from a classic, was nevertheless an open and interesting affair.

City had started the day with one eye on the fourth Champions League spot, but any hope of that had been quashed by kick-off time as a result of Everton's win at Wigan. And things didn't get any better when the match started, as West Ham came flying out of the blocks to take an early lead.

On seven minutes, Freddie Ljungberg latched onto a poor defensive clearance from the usually dependable Richard Dunne and fired a cross straight across the face of goal from the right-hand side of the box. There looked little danger as the ball flew towards Carlton Cole, the striker with his back to goal, but Cole twisted magnificently to whip an overhead kick into the top-left corner of the net.

For a team who have only scored six goals in their last eight games, this looked like a major setback, but City responded within eight minutes. From the right, and after Anton Ferdinand had only half-cleared a City corner, Petrov swung a ball into the heart of the West Ham area. The ball bobbled around in a sea of players for a split second before falling to Darius Vassell, who hooked the ball home from close range.

Letting the goal stand was a controversial decision, as when Petrov delivered his cross, Vassell was marginally - but definitely - offside, standing alone in the six-yard box. However he was not deemed to be interfering with play at the time, and was back onside by the time he converted. Yet another interpretation of a confusing rule which could have gone either way, it was one which caused the Hammers manager Alan Curbishley to almost spontaneously combust on the touchline.

The remainder of the game was end-to-end, both teams enjoying periods in the ascendancy without seriously threatening the scoreline, though on 75 minutes Mark Noble forced Joe Hart into a spectacular save, sliding towards a perfect cut-back from Cole and powerfully sending the ball sailing goal wards, only for the keeper to stick out a leg and deflect away. Hart also tipped an effort from Cole over the bar in the dying seconds of the game.

The result moves City up into fifth place, two points behind Everton in fourth and one ahead of Liverpool and Aston Villa, who play tomorrow in a fixture which will ensure City drop at least one spot whatever the outcome. West Ham meanwhile stay in 10th position, four points behind Blackburn directly above them but with a game in hand.