Last Updated: Thu, 19 Apr 2012 17:34
Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott has been talking up the importance of beating rivals Manchester United later this month.
The England international is adamant that it is a game that the players are desperate to win irrespective of whether the derby encounter at the Etihad Stadium on April 30th is a Premier League title decider.
Lescott knows what the fixture means to both sets of supporters and while refusing to give up on their hopes of finishing on top of the pile, he is vowing to emerge from the showdown with all three points in the bag.
City have rediscovered their best form in the last two games with comprehensive victories over West Brom and Norwich and will be bidding to keep it going against Wolves on Sunday, even though they also need United's opponents Everton to do them a favour at Old Trafford.
Lescott told the Manchester Evening News: "I don't think it's over until it's mathematically impossible. We will keep fighting, and even if we do get to the point where it's over we still owe our fans and the club performances.
"Derby games are spicy at the best of times, but with what's at stake it will be a great occasion to be involved in.
"More likely than not we will have to win that game, and if we do that and are two points behind them going into the last two games of the season, it would be a great achievement for the club.
"It would probably be seen as a disappointment if we don't win the league, but if you look at the progress we have made over the last three years, it's an all-round great achievement."
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