WHY PEP GUARDIOLA CANCELLED TRAINING BEFORE MANCHESTER CITY’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REMATCH
Pep Guardiola cancels Manchester City training to combat fatigue ahead of the 3-0 comeback attempt vs Real Madrid.
Pep Guardiola has shared his reasoning for skipping training the day before Manchester City’s crucial Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid at the Etihad. Facing a tough three-goal deficit from their 3-0 loss at the Bernabeu last week, City are up against the difficult task of overturning this against a team that has won Europe’s top trophy 15 times.
Historically, only four teams have managed to claw back a gap of three or more goals in the knockout stages, so the challenge ahead is immense. Guardiola acknowledges his players will need to deliver an almost flawless performance if they hope to stage a remarkable comeback on home turf. Still, he remains hopeful they will create plenty of scoring chances against Alvaro Arbeloa’s side.
In a somewhat unexpected move, Guardiola has decided to give his first team a day off on Monday, opting for a light session just hours before kickoff on Tuesday. At Monday’s press conference, he explained the logic behind this approach, citing the fatigue from travel and recent matches. After returning late from Madrid, then heading to London for a Premier League draw against West Ham, the players have had a packed schedule. Guardiola feels a day of rest will serve them better than trying to squeeze in more training.
He further emphasised the mental aspect, pointing out that mental strength plays a big role in how well they perform. He plans to assess the players’ condition and conduct training on Tuesday afternoon. With travel taking its toll and players spontaneously connecting with their families, he believes keeping them relaxed and fresh is crucial.
Captain Bernardo Silva, who was the only City player present for media duties, supported Guardiola’s decision. He reflected on past occasions when the team took rest days following both wins and losses, trusting the manager’s judgement to help them regroup and come back stronger.
On team news, Guardiola revealed he has most of his starting lineup settled, though one spot remains uncertain. Josko Gvardiol (tibial fracture) and Rico Lewis (ankle) are sidelined, but Mateo Kovacic has returned to the bench after recovering from a lengthy ankle and heel injury. With these preparations in place, City will be charging into a daunting but pivotal night against one of Europe’s giants.
WHY RAYAN CHERKI DESERVES TO START MANCHESTER CITY’S MUST-WIN REAL MADRID REMATCH
Rayan Cherki’s creative cameo wasn't enough to save City’s title hopes as focus shifts to the Real Madrid UCL clash.
Pep Guardiola, as always, has shown he’s willing to face criticism head-on, especially when it comes to his tactical choices. After Manchester City’s recent draw at the London Stadium, all eyes turned to his handling of Rayan Cherki. The young substitute’s influence on the game starkly contrasted with the lacklustre performance of the starting lineup.
That draw against West Ham was a blow to City’s title hopes, putting them nine points behind the league leaders. Guardiola decided to deploy Antoine Semenyo and Omar Marmoush on the wings to support Erling Haaland, but that front three failed to break down a stubborn West Ham defence. The game’s momentum shifted in the second half when Cherki came on alongside other subs like Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku. Cherki’s creativity and close ball control started to open up opportunities that hadn’t been there in the first hour, although City still couldn’t find the winner.
In the post-match analysis, Guardiola didn’t shy away from owning up to his decisions. He called his starting lineup a “bad selection” and openly accepted the criticism. He explained that the problem partly comes down to balance: earlier in the season, playing Erling Haaland alongside players like Doku or Cherki made the team feel unsteady, lacking the Premier League stability required.
Still, despite the dropped points, Guardiola remains hopeful. He sees City as a team developing, one that has grown quite a bit but is still a work in progress. He defended starting Semenyo, recognising the stability brought by players like him and Nico O’Reilly on the wings. At the same time, he praised Cherki’s unique impact, especially when coming off the bench late in games, even if the young player doesn’t always have the pace.
As the Premier League frustrations settle, City’s focus now shifts quickly to their upcoming Champions League showdown with Real Madrid. Facing a 3-0 aggregate deficit, this midweek tie promises to be a stern test, demanding all the tactical acumen Guardiola can muster.
PEP GUARDIOLA FACES SQUAD SELECTION BACKLASH AFTER SUBS DELAYED UNTIL 80TH MINUTE
Pep Guardiola sticks to his wingless system despite pressure, while Erling Haaland struggles with clinical finishing late on.
No matter how close Pep Guardiola might be to the end of his tenure, he’s still steadfastly sticking to his methods. This week, after spending a significant amount of time defending his team selections following that 3-0 loss to Real Madrid, he showed up against West Ham without wingers, yet Manchester City still played like the side we’ve known over the past decade.
Teams have started launching the ball high from kickoff, but City kept their composure, dominating possession. In the first 15 minutes, they completed a hundred passes before West Ham even hit double digits. It’s another Guardiola team with a clear identity, grinding its way through the title race. But the big question remains: will it be enough to outpace Arsenal?
If Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal has anything to say about it, probably not. Two late goals for the Gunners at home against Everton, coming as City were preparing for their own game, felt like a stark reminder of the uphill battle ahead. After faltering at the Bernabeu when they needed to be resolute, City simply couldn’t afford anything less than a win at the London Stadium, even if possession stats were on their side.
Bernardo Silva set the tone, opening the scoring just past the half-hour with a delicate chip that might not have been intended but was perfectly executed. Things seemed on track. Then, just three minutes later, sloppy defending invited a West Ham corner. Donnarumma misread the situation, and Mavropanos headed in to erase City’s advantage in an instant.
Defensive blunders have been a recurring problem. Last week’s mistake against Forest probably ended their Champions League hopes, and these issues aren’t going away anytime soon. It doesn’t matter what formation you’re playing if your defending and attacking aren’t sharp, a reality City faced in a tough fortnight that has jeopardised their aspirations across multiple competitions.
The city's prolonged pursuit of a quadruple had been impressive until March, but this recent dip is hard to explain and clearly trickles down from the top. For the second league match running, substitutions were lined up but then postponed this time, involving Reijnders and Foden, both told to keep warming up well past the hour mark.
By then, Doku and Cherki were already on, trying to spark a comeback. The team pressured possession with plenty of urgency, but didn’t trouble West Ham’s keeper Hermansen enough. Nuno Espirito Santo, sitting out that suspension, watched calmly from the stands, perhaps sensing the tension.
When Reijnders finally entered the fray, he made an immediate impact, forcing Hermansen to tip a free-kick onto the crossbar. The city's best chance fell to the man they counted on: Haaland. Frustrated, he watched a cross evade him just before Doku cut the ball back low, setting Haaland up for a shot.
But under pressure, the finish was hurried and off target. At this crucial stage of the season, both Haaland and City have come up short of their goals.
Pep will keep doing things his way, and there’s still time for silverware this season. However, prospects of clinching the Premier League or Champions League seem increasingly distant.
