NO MERCY: PEP GUARDIOLA WARNS MAN CITY STARS—STAY FIT OR MISS FOREST CLASH
Pep Guardiola reveals strict weigh-in results for his squad as Manchester City aims to overtake Arsenal at the top of the table.
City cruised to an easy 3-0 win against West Ham before Christmas, staying close behind Arsenal by just two points.
Guardiola, who's won a load of league titles with City, is known to be strict. He mentioned that the team was weighed before their short break and told to watch what they ate before their game against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
If City wins, they'll be at the top before Arsenal plays Brighton.
Even though Guardiola said he indulged a bit over the holidays, he expects his players to stay in shape.
"I think I gained, like, eight pounds with all the eating and drinking, which is great," Guardiola joked.
Then, turning serious, he said about his team, "They've been super disciplined for, like, forever."
Last season was hard with all the injuries, but they've always been great.
Everyone I've coached for the last 10 years has been this way. We have standards at the club, and everyone knows what's expected.
City's on a roll with seven straight wins, and they're still fighting for several cups.
I'd love to be way ahead, but it is what it is. "Arsenal's doing great, but we're right there," Guardiola said.
It's still December, we're doing well in the Champions League and the Premier League, we're in the League Cup semi-finals, and the FA Cup is coming up soon.
Some key players are coming back, so we'll just take it one game at a time and see what happens.
Saturday's game will be emotional since Forest just lost their legend, John Robertson, who was 72.
Robertson was a star in Forest's two European Cup wins, setting up a goal in 1979 and scoring the winning goal in 1980.
Playing Forest away is always hard, especially now, with the loss of an important person in their history like John Robertson, Guardiola said.
Even though Forest is close to the relegation zone, Guardiola thinks playing at their home ground will be tough.
It's always a really hard place to play—because of the fans and their team's quality, he said.
They've spent a lot of money in recent years and got promoted to the Premier League, and they're a good team.
BERNARDO SILVA TO LEAVE MANCHESTER CITY; LIJNDERS CONFIRMS "END OF THE STORY"
Bernardo Silva prepares for a Man City farewell. See the latest on Barcelona links and Elliot Anderson rumours.
Pep Lijnders, Manchester City’s assistant manager, dropped a pretty big hint that Bernardo Silva’s time at the club is wrapping up. After Saturday’s 4-0 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final, Lijnders said, "Every good story comes to an end.” It sounds like Silva’s nine-year run at City is almost over.
Silva’s contract ends this season, and he hasn’t signed a new one. He’s being linked with Barcelona, Juventus, and even some American teams, so it feels like everyone’s expecting a move.
Lijnders was front and centre with Pep Guardiola banned from the touchline. He went on about how important Silva is to City, saying, “You never replace a player with the same kind of player because they don’t exist. Bernardo Silva is unique in the way he controls games, how he moves, receives the ball, leads the team, and finds solutions. All of that.”
Lijnders made it pretty clear: when Silva isn’t out there, City misses him. Sometimes, sometimes you notice it even after just one game. Imagine a whole season without him. But"Everyded, “every good story comes to an end,” and he hopes Silva enjoys his last few weeks and gets the proper send-off he deserves.
Silva joined City from Monaco back in 2017. Saturday’s match was his 450th appearance, and he’s racked up 18 trophies since he arrived. Guardiola’s always bfan; a huge fan, he’s picked Silva more than any other player in his career, and after Kevin De Bruyne left last season, Silva got handed the captain’s armband.
People are already speculating about who could come in next. City’s been linked with Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, but Lijnders pointed out that the club doesn’t look for like-for-like replacements. They focus on whaneeds: team needs someone who’ll fit right into the starting lineup. He also kept saying how much he values City’s Academy and the young talent breaking through.
He summed it up: the young academy players need to make the step up and grow into those midfield positions, but it’s vital to keep the senior guys around for stability. else, anything else, new signings or academy promotions, builds around that core.
HOW PEP GUARDIOLA’S ROTATION IS SABOTAGING PHIL FODEN’S 2026 WORLD CUP DREAMS
Thomas Tuchel admits Phil Foden is "struggling" and offers no guarantee for a World Cup spot after poor England form.
Phil Foden just hasn’t found his groove with the England squad lately. After friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, manager Thomas Tuchel pointed out that Foden isn’t in top shape, and it might cost him a World Cup spot.
Even at Manchester City, Foden’s spot in the starting lineup isn’t a sure thing anymore. Still, Tuchel picked him for the internationals and put him in the starting eleven both times. Instructions first, behind Doand's instructions, and Dominic Solanke for the Uruguay match, then behind Morgan Rogers when they faced Japan. But neither game saw Foden really come alive for England.
Tuchel didn’t hide his disappointment. “He tried everything,” he said. “He was outstanding in training, but once the game started, he just couldn’t bring that same energy to the pitch.”
Tuchel also mentioned that Foden just hasn’t been getting enough minutes at City. Even so, he arrived at the training camp in good spirits and looked sharp during the sessions. “I honestly thought he’d bring that spark into the games. But he’s struggling to show what he’s capable of.”
When reporters asked if he’d really take a player who isn’t playing much for his club, isn’t in form, and hasn’t been making an impact for England, Tuchel was upfront: “Yeah, I can take him. The question is whether we actually will. There’s no guarantee he’ll make the squad.”
Now, Foden has about two months to turn things around before Tuchel names England’s World Cup squad. “I’m always learning,” Tuchel said. “Every training session, I see how the team fits, how the players respond to times applied and instructions, how quickly they catch on. Instructions were followed time and time again, and then applied during matches.”
Everything’s still up for grabs. The priority now is for the players to finish strong with their clubs, then come back ready for England training camp. That’s when Tuchel and his team will make the final calls.
