The Blues’ third successive Premier League victory - and fourth win in all, the best run of the 53-match season - keeps them hot on the trail of seventh place and a coveted Europa League spot next season.
But wins for close rivals West Ham and Tottenham mean that a clutch of clubs, including Fulham, are neck-and-neck in the chase with time running out and City facing tough trips to Manchester United and Spurs.
City’s boss admitted: “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.”
Once Felipe Caicedo had made the breakthrough against stubborn Rovers, Brazilians Robinho and Elano, once again from the penalty spot, made sure of the points in what could easily have turned into a difficult match.
Hughes said: “We knew what Blackburn would try and do and we found it a bit difficult to get a foothold in the first 20 minutes. It was being angled towards big Chris Samba up front and they were trying for second balls.
“We had to get the ball down and play on the grass, and once we did our technical ability came to the fore and we were able to create the chances and three goals. You want that intensity to be the same in the second half - invariably it never is, but we’re happy.
“The first goal was important. When you’re fighting for your lives, it can be difficult to get back, but Blackburn will always keep going. I had a group there who always gave everything, and that hasn’t changed.
“But today they were just up against a team on the front foot because of the confidence we are playing with, and we had that quality in good areas at the right time. We got the job done and finished comfortable winners.”
Rovers grabbed one back after 65 minutes when Morten Gamst Pedersen went down under Nedum Onuoha’s challenge and Keith Andrews scored after Shay Given had saved El Hadj Diouf’s penalty.
Hughes said: “They were given a bit of encouragement with the penalty that we gave away, but we were always going to be a threat if they pushed too many players forward. They showed effort and tried to get in our box.
“It was a big performance by the lads at the back - the centre-halves (Richard Dunne and Nedum Onuoha) coped well and Micah Richards, who was struggling before the game, passed a fitness test and came through 90 minutes well.”
