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Manchester City assistant manager David Platt admits the Premier League champions must improve despite an unbeaten start to the season.

The 3-1 win against QPR at the Etihad gives City seven points from three games but they have been unconvincing.

But Platt said: "We are not overly happy in terms of performance but we are delighted we can balance that out with the fact we are scoring goals.

"We are maybe paying the price for not killing the games off."

City were in control against QPR and Yaya Toure gave them the lead before the Londoners made their hosts pay for missing chances when Bobby Zamora equalised.

However, strike duo Edin Dzeko and Carlos Tevez each scored to secure City's win.

"It was almost too easy for us to arrive around 30 yards from goal but then there were a lot of bodies," Platt added.

"We weren't ruthless enough and perhaps didn't pick the right pass out."

"I don't think we are playing as well as at this stage last season, when we were blowing teams away and keeping clean sheets. There is an understandable expectation level here and we are not quite up to those levels.

"But we sit there unbeaten with seven points out of nine and we can still improve. If you write those names down on a piece of paper and look at them before you go to bed then you will sleep quite easily because you know they are good players."

Platt also confirmed striker Mario Balotelli will undergo a procedure on his eye to cure a problem with conjunctivitis but does not expect him to be sidelined for a significant length of time.

"I think he is OK, it is just a normal procedure. It is just a minor operation," Platt said.

"The contact lenses are the issue when he gets it, conjunctivitis. He can't get his contact lenses in, so he can't really play."