Mancini attempts to close gap on rivals United

Roberto Mancini has claimed Manchester City could one day knock Manchester United off their pedestal as England's biggest club.

Mancini will experience his first local derby at Eastlands tonight knowing victory in the two-legged semi-final would secure City a place in a major domestic showpiece for the first time since 1981.

Given the amounts of cash owner Sheikh Mansour has already invested, with the promise of much more to come, it seems only a matter of time before a 34-year trophy drought comes to an end as well.

And, given United's much-publicised financial restraints, there are some who feel it is also only a matter of time before the Red Devils are usurped as top dogs.

It may seem improbable given United have joined Liverpool on 18 titles by winning 11 since the Premier League was formed in 1992, but Mancini does not believe it is beyond the realms of possibility.

"If we work well, it is possible," said the Italian.

"United have a big history. They have been a good team for many years. City can become a big team in the next year. It is most important that we get into the top four.

"That would change the situations. Surely it would be better if City were also a big club in the future because then Manchester could have two clubs in the Champions League."

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted City are now one of his club's major competitors.

While Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal plus, briefly, Blackburn and Newcastle, have gone head-to-head with United during Ferguson's glorious reign, City have been little more than an irritant.

Although they have occasionally managed to get in a pretty fierce blow; the 5-1 win at Maine Road in 1989 was pretty sore, as were the 3-1 and 4-1 defeats immediately before and after the Blues' move to Eastlands, as a threat to the United honours board they were not even on the same radar screen.

Victory for City in the two-legged encounter would put them into a first major domestic final since 1981 and within touching distance of their first trophy in 34 years.

It is a position United desperately want to avoid. Yet, as Ferguson acknowledges, given the vast sums being invested from Abu Dhabi, it does not appear they are going away.

"You have to recognise they are a competitor now," he said.

"We have had to wait a long time for it to be like that but they are obviously making a much better fist of their league programme this year than they have done in the past. You could not compare it to Rangers and Celtic but having rivals in the same city does create far more emotion."

Midfielder Darren Fletcher returns for tonight's game, while Dimitar Berbatov is doubtful with a dead leg.

For City, Stephen Ireland returns having missed three games with a hamstring injury.