City 3 - 0 Fulham

Perhaps there is nothing like home comforts to snap yourself out of a sticky spell of form.

There have been plenty of column inches devoted to City's struggles of late and whilst their form since their Christmas period has been sketchy, one consistent factor has been their home form: eleven wins from eleven heading into yesterday, averaging three goals per game and conceding around one every three games.

Yesterday's game - bar the weather - followed the script of the season at The Etihad Stadium; City get a lead against a side that have been unable (whether by design or circumstance) to create much. With their noses in front City then rarely look as though they will relinquish the lead and, as the numbers show, have a tendency to make the victory look very comfortable indeed.

Where City have struggled on the road is not getting the opening goal; when taking a lead City often look a different side - evidenced by the fact that when leading at half time they have a near 100% record of going on to collect all three points (drawing just one of the 12 games where they have the edge at half-time).

I wrote recently that contrary to some school of thought, City have continued to create opportunities but a combination of coming up against some good defensive play and a dip in form for the Sergio Aguero-Edin Dzeko partnership has seen the goals dry up to some degree. Yesterday though, both players were excellent - a description that perhaps does not quite do justice to Aguero's performance, one that at times rendered him unplayable in what was a welcome return to form.

Granted, Fulham did not provide the stiffest of tests but there were some welcome performances. Stefan Savic - a late inclusion for the injured Vincent Kompany - resumed his partnership with Joleon Lescott and was as assured as he has been since he came into the side. Adam Johnson too, getting a rare start in the side, looked as threatening as he has done this season over the full ninety minutes, winning (a description open to debate) the penalty for the first goal and forcing the own goal to put City 2-0 ahead.

At this stage of the season the Premier League race looks to be one that will go down to the wire with each point won or lost magnified as to its impact on the destination of the title. City certainly have areas they need to improve on and aspects of their play where they have lacked of late, but the longer that they can continue their home form and keep churning out the type of 'routine' wins witnessed at The Etihad Stadium yesterday the better positioned they will be.