Manchester City secured a huge win over Newcastle in the Premier League last weekend. Other results earlier closed the gap to Arsenal, but the Gunners are still at the top of the table despite Pep Guardiola’s side having a game in hand.
It was a hard fought victory against Newcastle at the Etihad, but their team came out with a 2-1 win. After the game, Guardiola was excited that his side were able to grind out a result and revealed that he had given them three days off. He even joked that the players could ‘enjoy cocktails’ on their days off:
“I say to the players: ‘Guys, what we have to do is take a lot of caipirinhas, daiquiris in these three days [off]!” said Guardiola.
“Enjoy life. And after that, make a proper three training sessions, and go to Leeds.”
City have a big game against Leeds United at Elland Road this weekend, with a lot of stakes. The Whites need a result to continue their push for safety, while City will desperately need a win to keep up with Arsenal in the title race.
Leeds players respond to Manchester City boss ahead of Elland Road clash
With Leeds’ home record, Pep Guardiola’s side will not have an easy game come Saturday night. The Whites have already pulled off great results against Chelsea and Aston Villa in their last two league fixtures. This week, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Justin James have been speaking on Pep’s ‘cocktail’ comments ahead of the match.
“They’re quality players, so I wouldn’t look too much into that. We’ve been working hard as we have been for the majority of the season; three days in Dubai would’ve been nice, but we’ve been slugging it out here at the training ground.” Calvert-Lewin said on the Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet podcast.
James Justin also added: “To be fair, when they play 100 games a season, they need some time off to recover and reset mentally, but I don’t think it plays any part in what’s coming this weekend.”
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Pep Guardiola is underestimating Leeds United
A huge win in the title race needs to be celebrated, but to give three days rest ahead of a crucial fixture is disrespecting your opponent. Leeds fans and players will not take this lightly. The last time these two sides met, City were only able to get three points because of a last minute winner from Phil Foden. So based on that, the Whites can easily be a formidable match, especially at Elland Road. Daniel Farke has to use this to rally the team on Saturday, and if the fans recreate the atmosphere that has worked all season, Pep Guardiola’s men will be in for a fight.
