MARK Hughes has spent the best part of three years trying to mould Blackburn Rovers into his own image and likeness.

At times, it has been a painstaking process, even by Hughes' own admission, but Rovers are starting to display all the same traits that once made their manager such a formidable force to be reckoned with when he wore the red of Manchester United.

As a player, Hughes was a tough, uncompromising gladiator, who possessed an insatiable will to win, and brilliantly fused silk and steel together.

Now Rovers appear to be made from similar DNA, based on the impressive way they have started the season.

First, came the titanic battle with Arsenal a fortnight ago, when they went toe-to-toe with the Gunners and earned a richly deserved point, against all the odds, following the sending off of skipper Ryan Nelsen.

Then last week, they out-played Everton, another side with designs on the top four, for long periods at Goodison, before returning with another promising point.

Now Manchester City, who have high hopes themselves this season following the appointment of Sven Goran Eriksson, are the latest side to succumb to a Rovers side that is unbeaten in 14 matches in all competitions, an impressive run stretching back to last season's agonising FA Cup semi-final defeat at the hands of Chelsea.

Hughes certainly believes Rovers have what it takes to mount a sustained charge for the top six, and possibly even better, if all of his key protagonists stay fit.

And based on the evidence presented here, it would be difficult to argue against him as Rovers showed spirit, adventure, and not a little flair, in seeing off Eriksson's expensively assembled foreign legion.

Benni McCarthy grabbed the all-important goal, in typically trademark fashion, but this victory was very much a collective effort, with everyone in blue and white straining every last sinew to see Rovers over the finishing line.

Even the sending off of Tugay, who was harshly dismissed for two yellow cards in the space of three minutes at the beginning of the second half, failed to knock Rovers out of their elegant stride.

City defender Richard Dunne also saw red shortly afterwards to even things up, but nothing was going to get past Nelsen and his defensive sentries on a day when steely resilience coursed through Rovers' veins.

A bullish Hughes said: "I thought we looked strong, we looked energetic, we were always on the front foot, and we were always looking to step in and break off tackles, and break with pace, which is what we always try to do.

"I thought Brett Emerton was fantastic in that respect, but right across the back four and the midfield, everyone did their jobs.

"There were great performances right through the side.

"There was so many guys who could have walked away with the man of the match champagne today; any choice would have been the right choice. I thought we were exceptional."

Just like the Arsenal game a fortnight earlier, this game had everything; a well-worked goal, two red cards, some scintillating football, and passion by the bucket load.

You simply could not take your eyes off the action for a second and when referee Mike Dean blew the final whistle, the fans were almost as exhausted as the two sets of players.

Rovers had heroes in every department, not least Nelsen and the effervescent Brett Emerton, who ran himself to a standstill.

Eriksson has carried out a major surgery at City since he succeeded Stuart Pearce earlier in the summer, spending more than £40 million on revamping a squad that was in desperate need of an overhaul.

In fact, only four players - Micah Richards, Stephen Ireland, Richard Dunne and Didier Hamann - made Eriksson's starting eleven from the side that lost so meekly here in the FA Cup last season.

They looked bright during the opening skirmishes, and with the Brazilian Elano operating in the hole behind Rolando Bianchi, they asked a few searching questions of Nelsen and his defensive charges.

Martin Petrov, an £8 million recruit from Atletico Madrid, tested Brad Friedel with a scorching drive from the left hand corner of the penalty area.

Aside from the guile of Elano, there was also a bite about City, too, during a lively opening.

Dunne caught Robbie Savage with one bone-shuddering challenge, and the Rovers midfielder hobbled off shortly afterwards.

Then Elano went in with his studs up on David Dunn, which led to an angry confrontation between the pair. It was spiky stuff, with no quarter being asked or given by either side.

But once Rovers settled into their stride, they began zipping the ball around with real purpose.

They broke the deadlock in the 13th minute courtesy of McCarthy, who gleefully helped himself to his first Premier League goal of the new campaign.

David Bentley delivered a deep corner to the far post, which was nodded back into the dangerzone by Chris Samba.

Roque Santa Cruz then climbed above his marker to power in a header that was well saved by Kasper Schmeichel, but McCarthy was lurking to pocket the rebound: 1-0.

After that, Rovers laid siege on City's goal. Dunn went close with a header; then Schmeichel saved from Santa Cruz. It was pulsating stuff.

City had an amazing let-off when a glancing header from Santa Cruz cannoned back off the post, and Dunne then headed the rebound against the underside of his own bar.

Such was Rovers' dominance, Eriksson switched tactics and personnel, as Emile Mpenza replaced Michael Johnson, and City reverted to a more rigid 4-4-2.

If anything, the second half was even more open than first, particularly after the two dismissals left vast open spaces.

Tugay was the first to go after being booked twice in three minutes for two shirt-pulling offences on Mpenza and Didier Hamann.

But eleven minutes later, Dunne followed him, also for a second booking, after chopping down Santa Cruz on the edge of the box.

Pedersen (twice), Samba and Emerton all had chances to put the game to bed in the last half hour but didn't take them.

But that simply added to the drama as Rovers went on to seal the victory that confirmed the club's best start to a Premiership season for a decade.