City had fought back from being two goals down to lead Burnley 3-2, but Kevin McDonald's late strike earned Burnley its first point on the road.

Tottenham rebounded from back-to-back losses to beat Sunderland with Robbie Keane and Tom Huddlestone providing the goals and former striker Darren Bent missing a penalty for the visitors.

As City slipped to sixth place, Aston Villa moved up to fifth by routing Bolton 5-1, while Blackburn moved out of the relegation zone with a 3-1 victory over bottom-place Portsmouth.

"It's early days, City will be right there, Villa will be right there and looking to push the top four. I think ourselves,

"The (normal) top four are very, very strong obviously and I think ourselves Villa and City will all be having a go. Theres no reason you cant do it. Its not impossible to do. No one has said you cant finish in the top four. You have days against Stoke when you murder them and days when yopu win 2-0 like today. All the teams do that.

In Saturday's late match, Arsenal was at Wolverhampton, while leader Chelsea and champion Manchester United play Sunday.

City has not won since September and the draw with Burnley comes before a visit next week to Abu Dhabi to meet the club's owner Sheikh Mansour, who has lavished around $200 million pounds on the squad since last season.

It was Joleon Lescott, the 24-million pound ($40-million) recruit from Everton, who got City's afternoon off to the worst possible start at Eastlands.

The England center back handled Tyrone Mears' cross to concede a penalty that was dispatched into the bottom right by Graham Alexander in the 19th minute.

City's fortunes took a further turn for the worse when Steven Fletcher tapped home at the far post.

But Shaun Wright-Phillips pulled one back before the break with a 20-meter (yard) shot that deflected off Burnley defender Stephen Jordan and City was quickly on the offensive after the restart.

Lescott helped to atone for the penalty by picking out an unmarked Toure, who slotted in the equalizer at the far post. Inside three minutes Bellamy put City ahead _ only for substitute McDonald to stun City by slotting in Burnley's equalizer.

With 11 Englishmen starting at White Hart Lane, national coach Fabio Capello was there to watch faces for the future and possibly for a squad due to be named on Sunday for an England friendly against Brazil next Saturday.

Capello, who has a wealth of striking options, was particularly casting his eyes over Tottenham duo Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe, who was returning from a three-match suspension, and Sunderland's Bent.

Spurs took the lead when Crouch headed through to Robbie Keane and the Ireland international bundled the ball over the line in the 14th minute.

Bent, returning to White Hart Lane for the first time since his offseason departure, was booed after winning a penalty early in the second half when there appeared to be minimal contact from Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes. But Bent's low strike into the bottom right was saved by Gomes, who had only been shown a yellow card much to Sunderland manager Steve Bruce's annoyance.

"Bent was through on goal, it's a goal-scoring opportunity, and by the letter of the law he should be sent off," Bruce said. "He's had the chance to save the penalty, but he shouldn't have been on the pitch. And if we're playing 10 men who knows?"

English midfielder Tom Huddlestone gave the home side a two-goal cushion with a lethal strike from the edge of the penalty area that went in off the underside of the crossbar.

Villa raced in front against Bolton with Ashley Young scoring after five minutes and Gabriel Agbonlahor adding another just before the break.

Despite Johan Elmander pulling one back for Bolton on the stroke of half time, there was no way back the visitors.

John Carew, James Milner and Carlos Cuellar all scored in the second half to make it a comfortable win for Martin O'Neill's side.

At Ewood Park, Portsmouth had led through an early goal from Jamie O'Hara, but Jason Roberts, who had recovered from swine flu, came off the bench to score second-half goals either side of a strike by Ryan Nelsen to clinch Blackburn's 3-1 win.