'A culture to win' - how have Man City turned form around?

After nan disappointing extremity to August, September had nan imaginable to move into a situation for Manchester City and head Pep Guardiola.

City had concerns aft suffering successive Premier League defeats against Tottenham and Brighton earlier nan world break, but person responded successful style pinch 4 victories successful 5 games. All is rosy successful nan Guardiola plot again.

His broadside had to conflict difficult for Saturday's 5-1 triumph against Burnley - whose leader Scott Parker felt nan scoreline was "harsh" - pinch 2 Maxime Esteve ain goals and Erling Haaland netting doubly precocious on.

But conscionable arsenic champions and Premier League leaders Liverpool threatened to tally distant pinch nan title, they suffered a last-gasp nonaccomplishment astatine Crystal Palace, which allowed City to claw backmost nan shortage to 5 points.

"We are creating a bully squad tone pinch nan backroom unit and players," said Guardiola. "We vanished pinch precocious goals. It was tough. In nan 2nd half, we recovered nan goals and it was miles amended successful nan past 20 minutes."

Guardiola's guidance astatine nan end, pinch a immense grin connected his face, showed signs of a man who was not only proud of nan team's triumph but besides sensed City are edging backmost towards their best.

It wasn't a cleanable capacity and nan scoreline did flatter them, but City request to return nan opportunities erstwhile Liverpool falter and did truthful connected this occasion.

Guardiola denies he has changed his methods but is fielding a young City broadside pinch nan irrepressible Haaland starring nan statement up front. The acquisition of Bernardo Silva, Nathan Ake and John Stones each started nan crippled connected nan bench.

Their tally of 7 games successful 22 days successful 3 competitions began by swatting speech rivals Manchester United, followed by victories complete Napoli, Huddersfield and Burnley connected Saturday, pinch nan only blemish a precocious tie astatine Arsenal past Sunday.

Club insiders had told BBC Sport that training was going good and location was assurance heading into nan derby, a emotion which was not misplaced, arsenic it produced a consequence that City person kicked connected from.

This play of games was not going to specify City's season, but would person been a bully benchmark of wherever nan broadside are at, and if they information it disconnected pinch further affirmative results astatine Monaco and Brentford adjacent week, Guardiola will beryllium satisfied pinch nan advancement being shown.

"These caller players person to cognize that this nine has a civilization that you person to win," said Guardiola. "Otherwise, what happened successful nan past decade would not person happened wherever we person been, by far, nan champion squad successful England successful position of numbers and everything.

"All nan patterns and mentality successful each training convention to do your best, nan players consciousness that. When we won nan Premier Leagues successful nan past, I ne'er thought astir that aft conscionable six Premier League games. I conscionable thought astir what it is to beryllium amended for nan adjacent games.

"We are a young, young squad coming without players specified arsenic John, Nathan and Bernardo not playing and players who are not utilized to playing successful nan past a lot. I deliberation nan squad is really good.

"I ever repetition it: 'you are truthful good, guys'. Hopefully they tin judge me."

The departure of Kevin de Bruyne seems to person freed Phil Foden, who looks to beryllium recapturing nan shape that earned him nan Premier League Player of nan Season and nan PFA Players' Player of nan Year successful 2024.

Meanwhile, winger Jeremy Doku is becoming much accordant pinch 3 assists successful arsenic galore games.

As nan clip ticked into nan last infinitesimal against Burnley, striker Haaland had hardly had a sniff but past nan Norwegian extremity instrumentality abruptly came alive.

The 25-year-old swept location successful nan 90th infinitesimal earlier moving clear and finishing pinch aplomb 3 minutes later to return nan plaudits again.

Haaland is successful a rich | vein of form, taking his tally to 15 goals successful only 9 games truthful acold this season, and his head highlighted nan cardinal domiciled he plays successful nan team.

"It's his job," Guardiola said, doing his champion Roy Keane impression. "Two goals and he made an assistance for Matheus [Nunes] for 2-1. He is an incredibly important fig for us.

"He ever has nan emotion that he tin people and I'm really pleased again for nan capacity for nan team.

"Since nan United game, nan squad showed different measurement successful their assemblage connection erstwhile they weren't playing bully against Arsenal successful really they take sides and helped each different - that is nan cardinal for everything."