The Blues were last crowned champions in 2016 but have won three domestic cups since.
Last season, Nick Cushing’s side won the FA Women’s Cup and Continental Cup, but Houghton says winning the title is the main goal,
“We’re proud of the men’s team and the success they’ve had,” said Houghton.
“Winning the Premier League back-to-back is a fantastic achievement and we want to replicate what they’ve done.
“If I look back on the five years I’ve been here, we’ve won a trophy virtually every season and the one we didn’t in 2015, we qualified for the Champions League.
“There’s been a lot written about us and how we’ve developed as a team, but we won two trophies and finished runners-up last year – it’s a level of consistency that few other clubs have matched.
“The league is the big one and we want to get our hands back on that trophy and I feel the pre-season we’ve had and the players we have brought in give us a great chance of achieving our goals.
“It’s OK to say it, now we have to show we are one of the best teams in the country.”
WATCH | Houghton: It’s all about making history
WATCH | Walsh aiming to set derby standard
READ | City sign Karima Benameur
City take on United this Saturday, with a record crowd guaranteed and tickets on sale up to kick-off.
Houghton believes a Manchester derby win would be the perfect launchpad for the 2019/20 campaign.
“It would start the season off with a bang and set the tone for the months ahead,” she said.
“We played against Everton at the Etihad a few years back and there were 2,000 fans watching, though we weren’t at the level we are at now.
“Now, we’re going to play there with 20,000-plus and hopefully more who will walk up on the day.
“We’ve got a coach in Nick Cushing who is second to none and he has us drilled and organised all the time and we are prepared for the challenges ahead.
“Yes, we’ve lost a few big personalities like Jen Beattie and Nikita Parris, but we are just focused on the players who are here – we have brought Ellen White in who is a goal-scorer and a match-winner and all the girls we have brought in are quality and have settled quickly.
“There is competition for places which is healthy but the players who are here are all dedicated to bringing success for Manchester City.”
WITNESS HISTORY | Tickets for the derby are available to buy online and the Etihad Stadium ticket office will remain open right up until kick-off on Saturday.
