Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini says his team is finally enjoying the same form showed last season.
The Citizens kept the pressure on leaders Chelsea after a comfortable 4-1 win away at Sunderland with striker Sergio Aguero again on target as he scored his 18th and 19th goals of the season.
"We are returning to the performances we had last season," Pellegrini said.
"If we continue playing this way of course we will fight for the title, but I think three or four other teams will also be there.
"He [Sergio Aguero] is an important player but it is not just Sergio Aguero.
"We play in a way that it is very useful for him to score but it is important for him not just to think about scoring but to play for the team.
"There are a lot of good strikers but I said before the last game that I am sure he is one of the best five players in the world because he is not just scoring, he is playing very well."
Asked to give an update on the fitness level of captain Vincent Kompany, the Chilean said: "Vincent is improving and maybe it is not such a serious injury as we thought at the beginning.
"But he needs to see the whole week and we will see what happens with him."
