City are currently on a 16-game winning streak in the Premier League and hold an 11-point lead over second place, though Howe insists his side can upset the apple cart at the Etihad.
"I think we have to believe," he said, speaking ahead of the game. "I always maintain that, no matter who you play, you have to believe you can win. We believe we can. In saying that, it's going to be incredibly difficult.
"I think we need a mixture of things - we need our players to perform at an extremely high level and we're going to need to be defensively very good with the attacking players they have.
"Probably more importantly, we need a bit of luck, which has deserted us I think in the last few games.
"I think City are on their way to being a great team. You can only truly say that when they win something.
"But the style of football they have, the players they have, the way they're coached… It's a really good mix for them.
"They're playing with extreme confidence at the moment and full credit to them. It's been very impressive."