PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS: Johnson strike salvages point for City

ADAM Johnson's first goal for Manchester City kept their top-four aspirations alive as they struggled to a 1-1 draw against Sunderland in the Premier League.

MATCH SAVER: Midfielder Adam Johnson scores his first Manchester City goal in the third minute of stoppage time to rescue a vital point against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light (Getty Images)

The England under-21 international curled in a left-footed shot from the edge of the box in the third minute of stoppage time to salvage a point after Kenwyne Jones' early header put the Black Cats ahead.

Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon was in top form between the sticks at the Stadium of Light and looked like he might secure an vital win until Johnson's unstoppable equaliser.

The odds were stacked against Sunderland at the start of the game, with City coming in off the back of their 4-2 win at Chelsea and the Black Cats having lost their last nine league matches against their opponents.

The last of the nine was a memorable one as Sunderland manager Steve Bruce's former teammate Mark Hughes was given the boot as Manchester City manager shortly after the 4-3 win.

But Bruce's men paid little attention to the formbook at the Stadium of Light, making up for the absence of inspirational midfielder Lee Cattermole with a dogged performance.

Sunderland's 4-0 defeat of Bolton midweek had ended a 14-game run without a win and the Black Cats continued where they left off, bagging the opener in less than ten minutes.

Jones had midfielder Steed Malbranque to thank for the goal as the French midfielder cut inside and drifted in a delightful cross for which the Trinidadian rose unopposed to loop home.

 City were lacking their own midfield dynamo in the form of Stephen Ireland but, after an uninspiring first half, Mancini's men began to fight their way back into the game.

Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon, who had hitherto been uninvolved, saved good opportunities from Roque Santa Cruz and Shaun Wright-Phillips before denying Carlos Tevez from point-blank range.

But City would not accept their fate and after a harmless corner, the ball fell to Johnson, who curled a stylish shot into the top corner to rescue the draw and ensure the Citizens stay two points behind fourth-placed Tottenham with a game in hand.

Meanwhile, City's rivals Manchester United returned to the top of the league with an emphatic defeat of Fulham.

Chelsea had claimed top spot with defeat of West Ham on Saturday but United move two points clear again after their 3-0 win, having played a game more than the Blues.

England striker Wayne Rooney continued his lethal vein of form in front of goal to score twice, with Dimitar Berbatov adding one more in the last minute to complete the victory.

Fulham won the reverse fixture by the same scoreline at Craven Cottage in December, but the Cottagers showed little sign of repeating the feat as the Red Devils dominated from the off.

The London outfit held out for the first 45 minutes, but after Rooney notched his first, 30 seconds into the second period, Fulham's challenge subsided.

The England striker has been in sumptuous form of late, but had little to do as he tapped in his second of the game from Berbatov's cross, scoring his 16th goal in 11 games and taking his tally for the season to 32.

The Bulgarian enjoyed one of his finer performances in a United shirt and headed in a deserved goal in the 89th minute after Rooney had released Ji-Sung Park on the wing, who crossed accordingly.