'It's a long, long time since we played like that' - are Man City back?

Manchester City's dazzling performance at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando set the Club World Cup ablaze, as they thrashed Juventus 5-2 on Thursday, securing a perfect record in Group G. The City squad, brushing off a torrential downpour during the first half, left little doubt about their intentions in this tournament.

Pep Guardiola, the City manager, has maintained that this competition is the start of the new season rather than a continuation of the previous disappointing one. Impressed by his players' performance, he commented, "I liked the way we did it. It has been a long, long time since we had a performance like this on and off the ball. The players were committed, and we are happy to beat a top side."

The belief within the City squad always comes from their performances, not their past, as Guardiola pointed out. Last season, City ended third in the Premier League after winning four titles in a row and failing to secure a major trophy. However, on Thursday, City dominated the contest with 76% possession, 24 shots to Juventus' 5, and 738 passes to 219.

City needed to win to secure the top spot in the group, and they made no mistake, avoiding the half of the draw that contains Paris-St Germain and Bayern Munich. If Real Madrid defeats Salzburg later on, they could face City in the last 16.

Shay Given, the club's former goalkeeper, commented, "I think City have shook the tournament tonight. People will step up and think 'wow, these [players] are the real deal again.' I think they are going to bounce back and bounce back strong."

One of the standout performers for City was Rodri, who played his first start since sustaining a serious knee injury against Arsenal nine months ago. The Spaniard managed 65 minutes and displayed his assuredness in the middle of the park with a metronomic performance, completing a total of 67 passes.

Guardiola praised Rodri, stating, "Everyone knows how important is Rodri. He is one of the best players in the world. I am happy he had a good 60 minutes and he can help us a lot. Last season we couldn't do it for the injuries. This season we can have players fit and try to perform similar to today."

Erling Haaland also made history, scoring the 300th top-level goal for club and country. The 24-year-old has netted five goals in his last six games for City, despite sustaining an injury last season. In total, he has scored 258 times for the clubs he has played for - plus 42 for Norway.

Guardiola expressed his admiration for Haaland, saying, "Congratulations on 300 goals. At 24 years old, it is a good run. His manager was an incredible footballer - he scored 11 goals in 11 years. I admire him a lot and am happy for him."

It remains to be seen which players will be the most vital cog in Guardiola's side, but Haaland and Rodri have undoubtedly played crucial roles in City's success so far in the Club World Cup. Fans and pundits alike will be eagerly watching as City continues their quest for the trophy.