In a month that has seemed like seasons for Antoine Semenyo at the Etihad, he has hit the ground sprinting at Manchester City.

With six goals to his name already since arriving at the club from Bournemouth in January, it's been a seamless transition for the 26-year-old, who has emulated his impressive performances at the Vitality Stadium.

How though? How does one make a mid-season switch from mid-table battles to a title race so effortlessly? It begins with a simple message from Pep Guardiola.

"The first thing he said to me when I came was, just continue playing your game," Semenyo told Sky Sports. "Play free, express yourself, shoot, dribble, do whatever feels right for you.

"He doesn't want me to take away from my game because it's a passing team and we keep the ball.

"There's going to be moments in the game where I can express myself, so that gives me a lot of confidence."

Previously criticised for a perhaps robotic approach to the game, which works to the detriment of his freer thinkers, Guardiola's messaging to Semenyo is suggestive of a 'new Man City'.

Guardiola has found space for maverick-type flair in his team and Semenyo is reaping the rewards.

Expanding further on what he's learned so far from Guardiola, Semenyo said: "I feel like the way Pep wants to play, it's almost like you want to commit defenders.

"You want to commit midfielders. And once the space is opened up, you either go into it or you go behind.

"It's just so many minor things that I wouldn't think about, but he thinks about. It's like I'm now thinking about it because of what he says a lot."

"Adjusting to this system has definitely been key for me. I feel like the players I have around me, they make it so easy for me.

"And they give me so many instructions, just being positive as well, and they obviously set me up to score my goals. So they make life easy for me."

Life is easy for Semenyo at Man City, and also a lot different to what he had been used to. Despite the team's shortcomings, compared to their previously held high standards, Semenyo has walked into a machine still geared to win.

It may feel like the side that won six of the last eight league titles at City is now one of a bygone era, but it took just 26 days for Semenyo to already reach a cup final with his new side.

"It feels crazy, man. Honestly, I've never been in a final before," Semenyo said, speaking at the Adidas Pred v F50: The Game event.

"I'm just pinching myself, obviously playing against Arsenal. It's going to be a top final, a top team.

"These are the moments every footballer dreams of. I'm lucky I'm living that reality."

Guardiola will be stressing to his Man City side that they mustn't feel 'lucky' to be there, though. The games are coming thick and fast and City have four competitions to win.

That starts with a trip to Anfield on Sunday to take on Liverpool in a game that's become England's answer to Spain's El Clásico in recent meetings.

Having already starred at Anfield this season for his previous club, scoring two on the opening day for Bournemouth, Semenyo is relishing the chance to do it all over again on Super Sunday, live on Sky Sports.

"It's a statement game," Semenyo said.

"It's probably one of our most important games of the season. So we want to go there, pose our threats and be victorious at the end of the day.

"As an outsider watching, it's always been sick to watch, but being part of it, it's a different level. Just that fire in your belly, these games bring it out."

If the season ended now, Semenyo would have already had the best goalscoring campaign of his senior career. But that's not enough.

Simply the freedom to express himself at Man City doesn't satisfy, either.

Semenyo wants tangible returns for a season that he feels makes him worthy of a Team of the Season spot, and he will stop at nothing to ensure he gets them.

"I always thought, I want to be part of Man City," Semenyo said.

"But the hard work continues. If we want to be as successful as the previous Man City teams have been, we need to catch up with Arsenal now and hopefully win all the other trophies that we're in.

"Obviously, there have been results that haven't gone our way and there have been a couple of draws here and there.

"The manager said to us before the Newcastle game that we need to have that fire in our bellies again.

"That fire in our bellies is what's going to kick-start a new run for us and hopefully us being victorious at the end of the season is the plan."