Pablo Zabaleta believes that City's 1-0 win over arch-rivals United on Sunday cemented their status as the biggest club in Manchester.
Sergio Aguero's second-half goal was enough to give the Citizens a historic fourth successive derby victory over their bitter rivals.
The Sky Blues had not enjoyed that level of dominance over their Manchester neighbours since 1970, and the Argentine says that the victory represented a shift in power.
"All I can say is that Manchester City's players and the owners are doing a big, big effort to be a top team not just in Manchester but also in the Premier League and also in Europe," he told reporters.
"And now probably it's different history than years ago where probably United was the main team in the city.
"Now it's a bit different. We are dominating at the moment in the derby games. But that shows how Manchester City are improving year after year."
City, who have won two Premier League titles in the last three seasons, are six points behind leaders Chelsea, while Louis van Gaal's side sit 13 points off the pace.
Shane Callaghan
