Derby already promises to be a cracker

Les Chapman.

ALTHOUGH Manchester City gained a hugely important 3-1 win against Hull City at the Etihad, I thought the performance as a whole was a little bit flat.

Maybe the exertions of the previous two games (at Arsenal and Chelsea) had taken their toll on some of players, but they took a while to really get going.

I can understand it in a way. With all due respect to Hull, it must be a bit difficult to really raise your game when you've maybe been playing Champions League against the Barcelona's and Real Madrid's of this world.

City got the job done against Hull in the end, though.

Once the second goal went in it was pretty much plain sailing.

There's seven games left now and the target has to be a top four 'must' and a top three 'preferable' so you don't have to go in any qualifiers.

At present if City won their game in hand they would go top three, but there's plenty of tough games left yet, starting at Southampton on Saturday.

The Saints have had a really good season again, and they're never an easy team to play against.

They've got the potential to cause City problems.

It's looking as though the derby against United is going to be set up nicely too.

By the time that game comes round on April 27 at the Etihad, it's going to be even more massive than it ordinarily is, with the Reds breathing down City's neck.

I've been on a good trip this week, filming a feature for the City website.

MEMORIES

It's going to be looking at memories from 'that' Sergio Aguero goal in the QPR game in 2012, so I've been to Rome to interview Edin Dzeko and to Turin to chat with Joe Hart.

It was lovely in Rome in particular. We went over to Edin's place and his wife made us some lovely coffee.

He's really on fire on the field at the moment - 34 goals so far in Serie 'A' is phenomenal. He's the man of the moment for Roma, for sure.