Fernandinho believes the real Manchester City are beginning to emerge after their inconsistent start to the season.
Manuel Pellegrini's team have won their last three games, including a dramatic 3-2 Champions League home victory over Bayern Munich and Sunday's 3-0 demolition of a Southampton side who started the match in second place in the Premier League.
Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho feels the results show that the Premier League champions have found their true form and will maintain it for the rest of the campaign.
"This is a new time for us, and from now until the end of the season I think you will see a different Manchester City," he told the Manchester Evening News.
"We didn't start very well this season but now, at the end of November, we are playing much better. Now we need to keep at this quality for the whole year."
City embarked on a run of 18 wins and two draws in 20 games after the November international break last season, and their recent form has brought hopes they can repeat that sort of sequence.
Fernandinho, one of the City players who has struggled to replicate his form of last season, was an influential figure in the victory at St Mary's.
But the former Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder felt the key victory came against Bayern, when he was suspended, because it boosted City's belief.
"After that Bayern game, it was very different for us," he added. "We won it after losing 2-1 at half-time -- and when you beat good teams like Bayern Munich, you take more confidence to play better.
"This win was the proof, and we showed it out on the pitch by winning another important game at Southampton.
"We go into the next game at Sunderland [on Wednesday] with more confidence, and we are looking to win again."