No City limits for Mancini

City are for once in the ascendancy heading into a clash against their neighbours as they prepare for today’s derby as the Barclays Premier League leaders.

The club have made considerable progress during Mancini’s two years in charge and the Italian wants to maintain the current trajectory until City surpass some of Europe’s great clubs. He said: “I think that should be our target. When you have Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid and you work for this, you want to be like them.

“I don’t know in how many years we can do this but we will work for this. We want to become one of the top clubs in Europe.”

City are two points ahead of United at the top of the table having won seven and drawn one of their eight games, scoring a remarkable 27 goals in the process.

Yet United are also unbeaten and with their statistics barely a shade worse – the Red Devils have struck 25 times – both sides have the potential to keep the other’s goalkeeper busy. Mancini said: “For all the games – scoring three or four goals – this game could finish 0-0, but I think both teams have very good strikers. We can score and they can score.

“I don’t [need to] think about this match. I don’t speak about it with the players because they know that it is difficult.

“On Sunday we will meet a strong team, but they know everything about it.

“I don’t think they need me to speak to them about Wayne Rooney, Chicharito [Javier Hernandez], Nani.

“I think, for me, it is easy.”

City famously beat United in last season’s FA Cup semi-final at Wembley en route to their first trophy success in 35 years.

Yet they must overcome a poor recent record in league derbies to maintain their flying start this term.City have not beaten United in the league since February 2008 with United winning five of the last six contests.

They fought hard on their last visit to Old Trafford in February only to be undone by Rooney’s stunning overhead kick 12 minutes from time.

Mancini said: “When one player scores a goal like Rooney, you can say ‘fantastic’.

“He scored an incredible goal. I think the last game at Old Trafford was good because we played well, they played well.

“The match was open until the end but Rooney scored an incredible goal.”

Phil Jones is expecting the white-hot heat of the Manchester derby to eclipse the notoriously fractious rivalry between Burnley and Blackburn. The spite and venom on show in those all-Lancashire contests came as a shock to the Premier League. Jones said: “I played for Blackburn against Burnley and that was pretty hostile, although I would imagine this tops that one.”

The 19-year-old added: “The atmosphere doesn’t bother me too much. We’ve been away in the Champions League and played in hostile atmospheres.

“This is obviously going to be massive for both clubs. It means a lot to the fans. Hopefully we can get one over on them and make our supporters happy.”

This particular meeting is given added spice by the fact the two Manchester clubs currently lie first and second in the table.

Chelsea will fancy their chances of gate-crashing the Mancunian party given their excellent recent form.

However, there is a sense within the United camp that City offer the greatest threat to their status as champions given the vast amounts of money Mancini has been able to spend in amassing possibly the strongest squad in Europe.

“They’ve had a lot of money to spend and have brought some quality players in,” said Jones.

“But we are just treating it as another game.

“All the papers are hyping it up. That’s natural – it’s a derby.

“But we can’t afford to look at it like that. It’s far too early in the season to start ruling out teams and trying to decide who’s going to win the league.

“However, it would be a good confidence booster and if we concentrate on what we’re good at I am sure we’ll get the three points.”