City 3 Blackburn 1

No great surprises that we came away with the victory, but pleasing nonetheless to come away with what was in the main a professional performance that leaves us firmly in the mix for the seventh spot.

I don't think we excelled in the early stages of the game and perhaps a better side would have tested us far greater than Blackburn did. Once we got the goal however, there was a sense (for me at least) that the points were in the bag as I do think Blackburn were perhaps targeting other games for the remain point(s) they need to guarantee safety.

Interestingly, yesterday was our third win a row, something we haven't achieved all season and it should provide great heart going into next weeks Derby, in which, as Hughes said post match, we do need to take something from:

"There are three games left and we probably need to get something out of every one of them. Results elsewhere for the clubs in and around us probably didn't go as we would have wanted.

"But we can only do what we can do, and we would love to get straight back into Europe. We're pleased tonight because it keeps that little run going and four in a row doesn't happen on many occasions.

"so we'll enjoy it when it does happen. But then the focus will very quickly go on to the big game next week, and we'll go in with good heart from a good performance."

Press reaction:

In fairness, there can be few more accommodating visitors to Eastlands than Blackburn, whose injury-hit troops dragged themselves to the brink of safety last weekend, only to suffer the kind of defeat that leaves them vulnerable to an expected burst of form from those below.

>>men.co.uk

Success comes frequently to Manchester City at Eastlands these days but rarely quite as easily as this. Another nudge towards the inaugural Europa League was applied via the gift-wrapping of three goals in 18 first-half minutes that leave Blackburn Rovers with something still to do to achieve survival.

>>independent.co.uk

Although these days nobody comes dressed as a sheikh, the season at Eastlands is ending much as it began, with blue skies, big wins and Brazilians rampaging forward.

>>guardian.co.uk

A less vaunted South American, Ecuador's Felipe Caicedo, scored the first of three goals in 18 minutes that all but assured City's third successive Premier League victory before half-time. Keith Andrews replied for Blackburn, who still need at least one win to confirm survival.

>>telegraph.co.uk

If Mark Hughes wants to act as a convincing salesman to prospective new arrivals at Manchester City, he only has to post off a DVD of Robinho. When he’s in the mood, Robinho embodies the dictionary definition of the word genius.

>>timesonline