Collins John over-shadowed his new strike partners Andy Cole and Tomasz Radzinski to earn Fulham a point.

The 18-year-old Dutchman turned a sharp finish past David James after 57 minutes to level after Robbie Fowler gave City a first-half advantage.

Fowler hooked home a spectacular finish after 28 minutes to hand City a deserved lead before Collins struck.

City were then denied by a string of saves from Edwin van Der Sar, who twice denied Antoine Sibierski spectacularly.

Fulham improved after a dismal first-half show, but Kevin Keegan's City will still feel they did enough to earn all three points on the opening day.

Shaun Wright-Phillips, who has agreed a new four-year contract, lit up the start to the season at the City of Manchester Stadium.

He showed a blistering turn of speed to leave the Fulham defence trailing, and it needed a desperate clearance to prevent Nicolas Anelka taking advantage.

It set the tone for a bright City display in the opening 45 minutes and they took a deserved lead through Fowler after 28 minutes.

Danny Mills' long throw was headed on by Sibierski and Fowler (pictured left) lifted a left-foot finish high past Van der Sar.

Fulham had their new strike force of Cole and Radzinski on show, but they barely had a kick as City dominated.

But in a rare attack, Fulham snatched an undeserved equaliser after 55 minutes.

Claus Jensen's cross found John unmarked, and the young Dutch striker had time and space to turn and score past the flat-footed David James.

City were suddenly on the back foot, but Van der Sar was forced to turn over a rising drive from Claudio Reyna, then clutch a Dunne header.

Sibierski should have put City back in front after 67 minutes, but his point-blank header was blocked by Van der Sar.

Fulham posed a threat on the break, and it needed a fine save from James to deny Jensen with ten minutes left.

Man City: James, Mills, Dunne, Distin, Thatcher, Wright-Phillips, Reyna, Bosvelt (Barton 78), Sibierski, Fowler (Macken 77), Anelka. Subs Not Used: Stuhr-Ellegaard, Jihai, McManaman.

Goals: Fowler 28.

Fulham: Van der Sar, Volz, Pearce, Knight, Bocanegra, Diop, John (McBride 63), Legwinski, Radzinski (Pembridge 79), Cole, Jensen. Subs Not Used: Crossley, Rehman, Goma.

Booked: Cole, Volz.

Goals: John 56.

Att: 44,026.

Steven Gerrard completed Liverpool's second-half comeback as they came from behind to beat a battling City side.

Nicolas Anelka put City ahead against the run of play after Jerzy Dudek dropped the ball at his feet.

But Gerrard sent Milan Baros clear to equalise with a cool finish, and Liverpool pressed forward for more.

David James made several superb stops before Gerrard swept home the winner, and City's misery was complete when Richard Dunne was sent off late on.

New Liverpool boss Rafel Benitez had seen his side enjoy the lion's share of the early possession on his Anfield bow.

But their probing play struggled to break down a determined City defence.

The home side's best early chance came in the 11th minute when Gerrard fired in a long-range drive that James collected comfortably.

City continued to defend in numbers and chances were few and far between at either end until Harry Kewell's dipping shot which dropped just over James' crossbar on 29 minutes.

Kewell tested James again soon after with a low shot through a crowd which the England keeper did well to push wide.

The Reds were piling on the pressure, and from the ensuing corner Sami Hyypia had a clear sight of goal but could not keep his shot down.

City did not threaten until the 37th minute when Antoine Sibierski met Anelka's corner but could not direct his header goalwards.

And yet it was the visitors who snatched the lead on the stroke of half-time thanks to an error by Liverpool keeper Dudek.

Jamie Carragher headed Shaun Wright-Phillips' chipped through ball back to Dudek but the keeper fumbled and allowed Anelka to steal in and slot home.

But City's lead only lasted until three minutes after the restart.

Gerrard's clever pass set Baros free in the area and he beat James with a composed finish.

Anelka almost restored their lead when he latched on to Reyna's flick - his first-time shot flying inches over.

City were looking comfortable despite Liverpool enjoying the majority of possession, but the home side burst into life in the closing 20 minutes.

In a whirlwind spell of pressure, Gerrard tested James with a powerful drive that James somehow pushed away.

Then a sweeping move forward sent Djibril Cisse running clear but James came out well to smother his shot.

And seconds later James was City's saviour again with another superb stop to deny Baros who was clean through after Dunne's slip.

But a second Liverpool goal looked inevitable and it duly came on 75 minutes.

A long ball forward sent Baros scampering away once more and although James did well to block his effort, the ball fell kindly to Gerrard who swept the ball home.

City's misery was complete when Dunne was sent off for a second booking after a foul on Cisse in the 85th minute.

Liverpool: Dudek, Josemi (Diao 61), Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Finnan (Warnock 77), Hamann, Gerrard, Kewell (Biscan 90), Baros, Cisse. Subs Not Used: Sinama Pongolle, Harrison.

Booked: Hamann.

Goals: Baros 48, Gerrard 75.

Man City: James, Thatcher, Distin, Dunne, Mills, Sibierski (Barton 82), Bosvelt (Sinclair 82), Reyna, Wright-Phillips, Anelka, Fowler. Subs Not Used: Macken, Jihai, Stuhr-Ellegaard.

Sent Off: Dunne (85).

Booked: Thatcher, Dunne, Bosvelt.

Goals: Anelka 45.

Att: 42,831.

Ref: G Poll (Hertfordshire).

Heskey's early goal was enough to win the points for the Blues

Heskey rose above the Manchester City defence after just eight minutes to guide the ball into the top right-hand corner of David James' goal.

It was a scrappy encounter, although Birmingham looked the more likely to score throughout.

For City, Robbie Fowler missed a straightforward header, while James saved well from Stern John late on.

Birmingham welcomed back last season's leading scorer Mikael Forssell from injury.

But it was City who fashioned the first meaningful chance.

Nicolas Anelka was guilty of an awful miss after four minutes, failing to connect after a typically incisive run and cross from Shaun Wright-Phillips opened Birmingham up down the right.

But Birmingham were celebrating soon after after Heskey met Stan Lazaridis' cross and directed a powerful header past James.

The match failed to settle, however, with both sides guilty of some awful passing in midfield.

Heskey headed well wide on 20 minutes, but chances were at a premium for both teams.

It was, perhaps, significant that the most significant action came when Danny Mills picked up a yellow card for a cynical foul on Forssell.

The action picked up before half-time, with Robbie Fowler guilty of mis-timing his header when well placed.

Birmingham started brightly after the break, with Forssell heading just over after a wickedly curling free-kick from Muzzy Izzet.

But they had to reshuffle when Heskey was forced off with a twisted ankle, being replaced by Stern John.

Izzet was proving to be a real threat down the right, with City struggling to cope with his crosses.

Yet it was a cross from the left which caused most trouble, Lazaridis hitting the ball in and leaving David James in no man's land, before City cleared.

The visitors' chances were few and far between in the second half, and City were thankful for a brilliant reaction save from James on 66 minutes after John attempted to side-foot the ball home.

As the match moved into its closing stages, City began to look more threatening.

Claudio Reyna drilled a shot which was deflected wide for the visitors with five minutes to go but Maik Taylor was rarely called into action.

Birmingham: Maik Taylor, Melchiot, Upson, Cunningham, Lazaridis (Clemence 59), Gronkjaer, Johnson, Izzet, Gray, Forssell (Tebily 79), Heskey (John 54).
Subs Not Used: Bennett, Martin Taylor.

Booked: Izzet.

Man City: James, Jihai, Mills, Distin, Thatcher, Wright-Phillips, Bosvelt (Barton 79), Reyna, Sibierski (Sinclair 57), Fowler (Macken 79), Anelka.
Subs Not Used: Stuhr-Ellegaard, Bischoff.

Booked: Mills.

Attendance: 28,551