Manager Pep Guardiola has stated that the Club World Cup helped Manchester City refocus after their 3-1 win over Everton on Wednesday in the Premier League.
This was City’s first match since the Club World Cup, City as they moved back into the league's top four after goals in the second-half by Phil Foden, Julian Alvarez and Bernardo Silva.
City climbed above Tottenham Hotspur into fourth position with 37 points from 18 games, five behind table-toppers Liverpool, but have a game in hand.
City, who are looking to win an unprecedented fourth successive league title, were in a tight spot before Christmas after losing to Aston Villa and draws against Tottenham and Crystal Palace.
"I remember on the plane coming back from Saudi Arabia, I listened to the players when they didn't know I was listening, and they started to talk about Everton," Guardiola said.
"I said 'wow, this is my team'. I have the feeling they still want to try.
"We play many games this season and people say we are not the same. We have lost one of the last 13 (excluding the Club World Cup). We don't talk enough about how good we are."
However, City suffered a setback as defender John Stones was forced to leave the field due to an injury against his former club.
"It doesn't look good, but we will see. It's his ankle," Guardiola told Amazon Prime.
The European champions have also missed the services of injured Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, while Norwegian goal machine Erling Haaland is also on the sidelines due to a foot problem.
"He (Haaland) feels better, but he hasn't made one training session with us," he said. "Hopefully, in January, he can come back with us.
"Kevin is close... we have to be careful. If you don't handle the timings good, you can get injured again."
City will face Sheffield United in their next Premier League match on Saturday.
