City missed out on the title to Liverpool last season and will have been desperate to bounce back this year to try and forge a title charge once more under Guardiola.
However, after losses to the likes of Tottenham and Brighton, City looked sluggish and way off the mark when compared to league leaders Arsenal.
City also entered the season on the back of being knocked out of the Club World Cup by Al-Hilal, a moment that Guardiola says annoyed him as the club had to leave their perfect preseason camp.
"It was then holidays so I said, 'OK, go holidays,' but I was p***** off because we were good there, good with the guys training, good with the competition. The place we were in, Boca Raton in front of the beach. Everyone was happy. Made a lot of dinners, a lot of talks, what we have to do next season. What we have to do.
"We wanted to extend it, just to live that. I think there, after talking with 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. Now it is eight victories in a row. It is not easy but compete in a way we do. We have to improve, absolutely, but this mindset is better."
City have won 12 of their 15 league matches to sit just two points off the top of the table. Guardiola described their start as a “fog” which seemed to have no lifted in recent months as they chase down Arsenal.