Roberto Mancini badly wants to win the derby - but he is just as keen to keep Tottenham at bay until the Premier League is completed.
City's manager, so often the epitomy of cool, admits to being "excited" as he prepares for the long-awaited lunchtime showdown at a sold-out City of Manchester Stadium tomorrow.
And derby victory for the Blues would be even sweeter as it would ensure City maintain the priceless one-point advantage over Tottenham to stay in the Champions League-qualifying fourth place.
He said: "It's a big game, of course, it is the derby - but also it's just important that we win, and if we continue to play like we have been playing then we have a good chance.
"I was at Tottenham in midweek. They played well against Arsenal and probably deserved to win but we have to be better than them when the season ends. The game against Tottenham will be decisive."
City have three tough games before Spurs' visit on May 5 in the last week of the season, starting with the derby and a chance to avenge the late, late 4-3 defeat at Old Trafford.
The Blues boss said: "It is a difficult game. United are a good squad with some fantastic players, but we also have fantastic players and we are a very good team
"Has the gap narrowed? Maybe. But I
think we must work hard over the next
year"
"Now we are near but United are top at the moment. They have won a lot of trophies. It's important that we play with 100 per cent concentration for the entire game. I am confident we can win because we have improved.
"We have improved from three or four months ago because we are working hard. But we can still improve a lot. We can do it. We will need to if we want to win a trophy."
Mancini has certainly caught the fans' mood this week. He addded: "Yes, I am excited. I am happy. I am ... content. Because we are playing important games - this is good."
mcfc.co.uk
Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2010 4:20 pm