Pep Guardiola wants his players to forget about football but also remember what lies ahead | OneFootball

Manchester City enters the brief Christmas break well-positioned for the next phase of the season. Manchester City’s 3-nil win over West Ham was their seventh consecutive win in all competitions. Pep Guardiola’s side sits second in the Premier League, two points behind Arsenal. They are also well placed in the UEFA Champions League and have made the semi-final stage of the Carabao Cup. Heading into Christmas, Pep Guardiola wants his players to briefly forget about football. He has also publicly reminded his players of his expectations ahead of Manchester City’s critical Premier League fixture against Nottingham Forest at The City Ground.

Pep Guardiola wants his players to enjoy their break but also remember his demands.

Speaking after his team’s comfortable victory over West Ham, Pep Guardiola told the media that he wants his players to enjoy their Christmas break. He added that the time off for his players was appreciated. He explained: “Next week it’s holidays, I don’t want to see them! Holidays – be with family and have champagne. Tomorrow I will go to Barcelona and I recommend you come there. The food is top.”

“When I arrived in the Premier League, I was told as much days as you can give [the players] off, give them. The schedule is so tight. They have to forget and arrive in the moment be fresh here (in the mind) and in the legs. That’s why they have to recover and they have to forget football.”

While Pep Guardiola wants his players to enjoy their time off, he also shared his expectations for his players over their time off. The Manchester City players are on strict instructions not to overindulge over Christmas. The Manchester City manager added: “Every player was weighed. And 25th I will be there controlling how many kilos come up, [if] they come [back] fatty.”

“They can eat, but I want to control them. I have to make a selection against Nottingham Forest. Imagine one player arrives with three kilos more, he will be in Manchester, he will not travel to Nottingham Forest – 10/10, that’s for sure!”

The upcoming rest will be beneficial to the Manchester City players but Guardiola has laid down the law.

The Christmas break has come at the right time for the Manchester City squad. A period of rest is needed for a host of City’s players. Midfielder Nico could definitely benefit from a break. The same can be said for Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Nico O’Reilly, Matheus Nunes, Rayan Cherki and Josko Gvardiol. Christmas is a time for celebration, and no doubt the City players will savour a break and time with their friends and families.

But Pep Guardiola has also laid down the law for his team. Christmas is a time to celebrate, but he does not want to see his players overindulge. The standards have been laid out by Guardiola and his team has to follow them. There is nothing to suggest that they won’t but the fact that Guardiola has put out a warning publicly does lay down the law for his players to follow.

Pep Guardiola wants his players to enjoy their well-earned break over Christmas. But while the Manchester City squad can take an opportunity to step away from football, Pep Guardiola’s expectations cannot be ignored. Guardiola’s demands set the template for Manchester City’s success and they must be followed as Guardiola explained after his team’s win against West Ham.