This stalest of stalemates made dwelling on the present too depressing, so thoughts turned afterwards to the future. Manchester City, flushed with the success of youth, were only too happy to ponder what lies ahead after they provided further evidence that their internal supply line to the first team is in good order.

Micah Richards has already become the youngest defender to play for England but, should he depart for Chelsea, he will leave behind a team-mate who, in City’s eyes, possesses similar style and promise. Nedum Onuoha, who spent most of 2006 injured, played his part in restricting Bolton Wanderers to a handful of long-range efforts and drew praise from Steve Wigley, the City assistant manager.

“Eighteen months ago he was the young North West player of the year, and he broke in just like Micah’s done,” Wigley said of the England Under-21 international. “And then he had a catalogue of injuries. He’s played the last five games and he’s looking what he is, a top-class defender, and we’re benefiting from having him back in the team. He’s very like Micah — he can play right back, centre half, left back. They are both versatile and very difficult to beat.

“We’ve got a fantastic academy and we work the area probably better than any side in the North,” Wigley said. “They are fortunate that they’ve got a manager [Stuart Pearce] who puts young players in the team. It gets easier to attract kids because you can say: ‘Well, he’s playing in the team’. Stephen Ireland, Nedum Onuoha, Micah Richards, Joey Barton and Ishmael Miller, they’ve all come through the academy. To try and buy players of that quality costs you millions. The future is bright.”

However, Barton’s two appearances against Bolton over the past three weeks will be remembered only for unsuccessful lunges. Sent off at the City of Manchester Stadium for a challenge on Abdoulaye Faye, he could only find the side netting when advancing to meet Darius Vassell’s cross a couple of yards from the far post.

City are in mid-table while Bolton remain comfortably in the top six but seemingly distant from the elite, if the case of Tal Ben Haim, out of contract this summer, is significant. The club promised to make their defender an “offer he cannot refuse”, but he promptly refused it and has been linked with Chelsea.

Out of form on Saturday, Bolton did at least manage to confound critics who insist that they only play long balls. In the second half they were penalised for not taking a corner properly — the ball did not move its full circumference.