Guardiola: Man City's resurgence began at Club World Cup

Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City’s revival began at this summer’s Club World Cup, which helped banish the woes of the previous season.

City's 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday means Guardiola's team have won their last six Premier League matches, and they are just two points off leaders Arsenal.

This is a stark contrast to last season, in which City finished trophyless for the first time since the 2016-17 season, with the club losing four league matches in a row at one point, their worst run since 2008.

Despite City exiting the Club World Cup at the hands of Al-Hilal in the last 16, Guardiola is convinced that the tournament laid the foundations for a return to form in the coming months.

"Energy, energy, energy," he said.

"We lost it last season. We started to train better, compete better.

"We needed energy and then you have a good environment. When we went out to Al-Hilal, it wasn't the fact that we didn't win but that we were so good there.

"I think there, after talking with [City assistants] Pep [Lijnders] and James [French], Manel [Estiarte], Hugo [Viana], Txiki [Begiristain], we turned around and said something changed. Something [you can feel].

"It doesn't mean you are going to win, but that you are able to recognise the team.

"It is not easy to compete in a way we do. We have to improve, absolutely, but this mindset is better."

Guardiola, who is in his tenth season at City, admits that he himself has been re-energised by his new-look side, with the club having signed Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders and Gianluigi Donnarumma in the summer.

He said: "New players, I want to help them. When you've got the same players it is, 'Ah, tired.'

"But new players you think, 'ah, how is this guy?', and try to analyse. The energy comes from there.

"Energy can go down but energy can go up. Never in our lives is it the same.

"In professional or personal, you'll never be happy all the time but never sad all the time. You have to realise why, to realise what we missed, to come back."

City face Sunderland on Thursday. They have also been heavily linked with a move for Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo.