In-form Sergio Aguero twice pegged back Queens Park Rangers as Manchester City left Loftus Road with a point from this evening's Premier League match in West London.
There was huge controversy inside the opening 10 minutes at Loftus Road when Charlie Austin had two goals disallowed within seconds of each other.
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First, he was correctly flagged offside but then City, and Joe Hart in particular, were extremely fortunate.
The keeper hit a free kick with his standing left foot before slicing it with his right foot straight to Austin, who powered home an effort into the corner. As Hart had kicked the ball twice, referee Mike Dean deemed that the free kick had to be retaken.
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It wouldn't deter Austin, though. He gave QPR the lead in the 21st minute with a controlled low finish after missing a sitter five minutes earlier.
City responded well and came close to an equaliser when Yaya Toure's left-footed shot from 25 yards fizzed just wide of the target.
They did level soon after through Sergio Aguero, who netted his 11th league goal of the season with a left-footed finish after expertly controlling a long ball over the top. The Argentinian appeared to be just offside and also used his hand to help control the ball, but neither offence was spotted by Dean or the linesman.
Aguero and Toure both had further chances to put City ahead before the break, while Austin forced another save from Hart just before half time. After a pulsating first 45, it was all square.
The end-to-end nature of the game continued after the interval, with Leroy Fer curling just wide before Aguero failed to anticipate Jesus Navas's low cross and slide in to score.
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Joey Barton was brought on for the injured Sandro at half time for the hosts and was having a telling effect in the second period. In the 63rd minute he started a move that resulted in Eduardo Vargas's volley almost being deflected in by Steven Caulker, with the ball just dipping wide.
The home side retook the lead with 15 minutes on the clock when Austin's dangerous delivery across the six-yard box was turned into his own net by Martin Demichelis under pressure from Bobby Zamora.
Barton then almost gifted City an instant equaliser when his short looping header back to keeper Robert Green was pounced on by Aguero. The Premier League's top scorer rounded Green but couldn't find the net as Richard Dunne scrambled back to clear off the line.
City were all over QPR and again had a goalbound effort cleared off the line when James Milner's header that looked destined for the far corner was headed away by Caulker. The ball fell to Toure, but he couldn't beat Green with his low strike.
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Aguero rescued the much loftier visitors with an 83rd-minute equaliser, collecting Toure's ball over the top before coolly rounding Green, faking one shot and then planting a left-footed finish into the net.
Although City saw plenty of the ball late on, they couldn't fashion any more chances and had to settle for a point against Harry Redknapp's side, who move one point clear of Burnley at the bottom of the table.
City stay third, but are four points behind second-placed Southampton and eight adrift of league leaders Chelsea.
Pascal Lemesre
