Boro Nicks a Sky Blue Point in the 91st Minute

Talk about whistling past the graveyard.

How often does a high-priced side like Manchester City fail to lock down their own box in a match's waning minutes?

Even more incredibly, how does a quality sniper like Sergio Agüero miss a wide open goal from a reasonable range?

All of which leads to the ultimate question: How does Middlesbrough stroll into the Etihad and emerge with a 1-1 draw?

Then again, don't go there.

Back in the day -- in dog years, at least -- the Boro was an accomplished regular in England's top tier, boasting at times the likes of Bryan Robson, Paul Gascoigne, and the inimitable Nobby Stiles.

Newly promoted after seven seasons of wandering in the wilderness, Middlesbrough have been hovering dangerously close to the drop zone. It's obvious that every Premiership point they can earn or steal will be vital.

So, after frustrating City for 42 minutes, seeing Agüero on the business end of an excellent cross from Kevin de Bruyne was disheartening:

But the Argentine coulda made the afternoon devastating if he hadn't done this:

Shoulda been icing on the cake in the 89th minute.

Instead of gift wrapping a trois point afternoon, though, City looked on in horror when Dutchman Marten de Roon ran onto a room-service cross from George Friend one minute into time added on:

And in that moment, two points earmarked for City vaporized.

The Sky Blues yielded the Premiership lead to Chelsea in the process, and may fall to fourth if Arsenal and Liverpool both prevail in home matches on Sunday.