Manchester City cruised to a 3-0 win over Fulham in the Premier League at a snowy Eastlands on Saturday evening.
Sergio Aguero's penalty, a Chris Baird own goal and a Edin Dzeko strike gave Roberto Mancini's men the three points that sees City go clear at the top of the table.
However, Manchester United can go back level on points with their city neighbours if they win at Chelsea on Sunday.
City almost opened the scoring in the early moments when Aguero set up his strike partner Dzeko, but returning Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer was able to save.
The Bosnian had another early chance when he met Gareth Barry's low cross at the near post but arrowed his first time shot over the bar.
City were awarded a penalty in the tenth minute, though it may have been a case that referee Mike Dean was hoodwinked by Adam Johnson.
The former Middlesbrough winger ran at Baird in the box, and though the Northern Ireland defender left a leg out, it was very much a case of Johnson looking for the contact before falling in a heap.
Aguero took advantage as he slipped the ball past Schwarzer from the spot.
City doubled their lead in the 29th minute, when Aguero flicked the ball through to Johnson, and the winger's low cross was turned into his own goal by Baird.
City then perhaps should have been awarded a second penalty, when former Blues' midfielder Dickson Etuhu mistimed a tackle on David Silva, but referee Dean was not in the mood for giving a second spot-kick.
Schwarzer then produced two good saves to prevent City netting a third before half-time. First, he showed great reflexes to stop Philippe Senderos turning Micah Richards' cross into his own net, then he kept out Aguero after the Argentinian had bought himself a yard of space in the box with a superb piece of control from Dzeko's square ball.
Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart, a frozen-looking bystander in the first half, was finally able to warm himself up in the second half with comfortable saves from Danny Murphy's shot and a Baird free-kick.
The game was held up for a few minutes as ground staff came on to clear the lines of snow, but one player in particular was waltzing around as if it was a summer's day in Buenos Aires.
It was of course the magnificent Aguero, who waltzed in from the left touchline and skated past three Fulham tackles before squaring for Dzeko to score the third in the 72nd minute.