“They are not going to play”- Pep Guardiola reveals why Phil Foden and Jack Grealish’s were shackled to the bench against the Magpies


“They are not going to play”- Pep Guardiola reveals why Phil Foden and Jack Grealish’s were shackled to the bench against the Magpies

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are absolutely flying at the moment in the Premier League and have their sights set on another league title at the end of the season. City have scored a total of 11 goals over the last two league games which includes a 7-0 thumping of Leeds United and a dominant 4-0 win against Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United. However the absence of Jack Grealish and Phil Foden in the starting XI raised some eyebrows but then it was deemed to be Pep’s rotation or some call it Pep Roulette. 

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However the Manchester City manager said that it was no rotation and the pair were dropped after they were pictured on a night out in the aftermath of their side’s 7-0 victory at home to Leeds United on Tuesday, behaviour that Guardiola clearly did not approve of. Reports also suggests the pair arrived at training on Wednesday in a bit of a weary state, which Pep Guardiola and some staff members did not approve of. 

“Not rotation, no. I decided this team because they deserved to play these guys and not the other ones,” Pep said while speaking to BBC Radio Live 5. 

He further added “At Christmas time I pay a lot of attention to behaviour on and off the pitch. And when off the pitch is not proper, they are not going to play. So we have to be focused all the time because of distractions at Christmas time and everything that happens – you still have to be focused.”

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With COVID-19 cases shooting up once again in the Premier League it is understandable that managers and players should take the utmost precautions to stay healthy. With a number of games already postponed due to the COVID outbreak the clubs will want to go ahead as planned with the fixtures because matches behind close doors will once again affect the clubs financially and the clubs are not reluctant on refunding the season tickets. 

Pep Guardiola and Manchester City go three points clear at the top as Chelsea and Liverpool dropped points.

Manchester City players celebrating against Newcastle United

After their impressive wins against Leeds and Newcastle City are top of the Premier League three points clear of of Liverpool and six points clear of Chelsea. The Premier League will surely go down to the wire however at the moment it’s Pep’s team who are top and will try to have a firm hold in the upcoming matches.

Also read: Fiorentina takes a dig at Juventus and Inter Milan and calls for “clear rules”