Pep Guardiola surprised his Manchester City players by giving them a relatively long rest period before the crucial stage of the season in the Premier League and FA Cup.
The Sky Blues secured a thrilling 2-1 victory over Southampton in the FA Cup semi-final and now have eight days before their next Premier League clash against Everton.
To ensure optimal preparation for the upcoming decisive rounds, Guardiola decided to grant his City players four days of rest, a move not typically made by managers during this critical period of the season.
Guardiola stated that this period is “the last chance to recover mentally and physically” before facing six crucial matches in just 21 days.
The Spanish manager added, “I learned in England that rest can be more important than intensive training.”
“At first, I thought more training meant better playing,” he explained, “but I realized it’s about arriving at the game fully fit. You have to train, yes, but you also have to live and recover.”
“We can’t play this many games with the same players. Everyone has to be ready, and every player has to step up. I demand more from them because this is the moment when championships are won.”
Manchester City trails Arsenal by three points with a game in hand, with only five Premier League matches remaining. They also have a match against Chelsea in the FA Cup final.
Guardiola hopes to lead his team to a domestic treble, having already won the Carabao Cup in March with a 2-0 victory over Arsenal in the final at Wembley Stadium.
