MANCHESTER City maintained their 100 per cent home record with a hard-fought victory over Birmingham.

Brazilian star Elano, who had been a doubt for the game because of international commitments in midweek, scored the winner in the first half after he was set up by Vedran Corluka.

It was Elano's fourth goal in three games and City stay third in the table behind United and leaders Arsenal.

Elano only playe for about twenty minutes of Brazil's game against Ecuador in Rio, but he managed a goal then and shrugged off any thought of jet-lag with another fine Premier League performance.

Yet the visitors played with a lot of spirit and will feel they deserved at least a point.

City had to be patient however and Elano’s goal was their first real effort on target. Birmingham felt his goal in the 37th minute should not have stood, claiming Fabrice Muamba was fouled by Michael Johnson in the build-up.

The City midfielder then released Vedran Corluka and he set up Elano, who applied a cool finish. Birmingham manager Steve Bruce could hardly believe it and was constantly agitated on the touchline.

However his side quickly regained their composure and Olivier Kapo should have equalised a minute later.

He found himself clear in the area but his weak shot failed to test goalkeeper Joe Hart.

City were growing in confidence with Martin Petrov adopting a shoot-on sight-policy. However his 25-yard effort in the 43rd minute failed to test Maik Taylor.

The Blues made a bright start to the second half and Petrov tried a dipping half-volley from distance but saw his ambitious effort go wide of the target.

Dangerous

Birmingham swept back downfield and Gary McSheffrey delivered a corner from the left. Rafael Schmitz got away from his marker but headed over the bar.

It was City, however, who were looking the more dangerous side going forward.

Petrov whipped in a corner in the 52nd minute that Stephen Kelly did well to clear at the back post.

There was a moment of anxiety for City when defender Micah Richards took an awkward fall and lay prostrate on the turf. However he quickly recovered and resumed his place alongside Richard Dunne at the back.

City’s enterprising start to the season was reflected in a crowd of 45,688 at Eastlands. They were almost cheering again when Petrov went close in the 60th minute, cutting inside before delivering a shot that Maik Taylor did well to take cleanly.

City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson decided to freshen things up in the 65th minute, bringing on Georgios Samaras for the tiring Emile Mpenza.

Samaras immediately made a nuisance of himself and the ball broke to Petrov but he sent his effort over the bar.

Elano almost added a second in the 71st minute, his powerful drive from 20 yards whistling past the post after he had been set up by Petrov.

With only one goal in it, City fans were getting edgy and Kapo came close to equalising.

He saw his effort come back off Hart’s chest then Richards cleared off the line from Schmitz.

Birmingham were playing with plenty of spirit and substitute Garry O’Connor rattled in a shot that Corluka did well to block but they were unable to secure an equaliser.

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