City secured a 2-1 Premier League win at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, their eighth consecutive victory across all competitions, completing a perfect December for the team.

Guardiola said the seeds of City's revival were planted during the Club World Cup in the United States. Despite a Round of 16 exit to Al-Hilal, the trip allowed the squad to reset and refocus after a challenging 2024-25 campaign.

"Energy, energy, energy," Guardiola said. "The energy we lost last season, everyone started to train better and compete better when we were in America. Energy. That's the first action. After that, we can talk about the back four, the wingers, but first it has to be energy."

He added that the experience in Boca Raton, with team meals and discussions about the upcoming season, helped build cohesion and a sense of purpose. "It wasn't holidays. I was annoyed because we were good there. Good in the training, the players in front of the beach, everyone was happy. We made a lot of dinners, a lot of talks on what was going to happen this season."

Guardiola also reflected on City's mixed start to the campaign, which included losses at home to Tottenham and away at Brighton, noting that adaptation and understanding new players takes time.

"Still, we were in that time not knowing a little bit the players in the best way to suit to play," he said. "Managers aren't magicians. Sometimes you have to realise yourself and change a little bit, because we have new players, and the opponents face us in different ways.

"Winning helps to advance this process to be a better team."

City's coaching staff, including Pep Lijnders, James French, and Kolo Toure, have worked closely with the new players to integrate them, Guardiola added. "I want to help them."

Manchester City will next travel to face Sunderland in Premier League action on Thursday.

Nedbank Cup Round of 32 draw