Man City’s under pressure stars slept at the club’s training ground on Christmas Day as they look to turn around their worrying form.
It’s now nine losses in 12 games for Pep Guardiola‘s men who looked well off the pace last time out as they lost 2-1 to Aston Villa.
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As the Citizens do everything to ensure they can bounce back the players were forced to stay overnight at their training ground.
That is because they face Everton at the Etihad Stadium at 12:30pm – live on talkSPORT.
And manager Guardiola wanted to ensure they keep their usual routines, despite it being the festive season.
When asked about their plans, he said: “We train today (Tuesday), we train tomorrow (Christmas Day) night, we will stay over here and we are going to play on Boxing Day.”
He added: “Hopefully they want to be here, because it’s our job.”
Former Liverpool striker Dean Saunders joked it was actually probably a nice night for the City stars.
And added they would be in a luxurious setting, despite on the surface it seeming like a miserable setting.
He told talkSPORT: “I kind of imagine all the Man City players gathered around watching the Gavin and Stacey finale last night in their Christmas PJs together.
“That is normal, you know. It is normal. It sounds bad staying at the training ground. Man City’s training ground is like the Hilton.”
And Saunders was quick to insist such a move was not unusual for players.
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He added: “Even when I played for Liverpool in 1992, we used to have to stay in the hotel Friday night.
“At home games? Yeah, we’d stay in the hotel and Roy Evans and Ronnie Moran would come around and they’d knock your door about half ten, right, two of them, and you’d open the door and they’d pretend they’ve got anti-inflammatories for you.
“So they’d have tablets, Roy would have red ones and Ronnie would have blue ones. And they’d go red or blue, red or blue, so they’d check your room.
“All they’re doing is making sure you’re in your room and you’re not somewhere else drinking or something.”
Asked if he ever sneaked out, particularly at Christmas, he added: “I never ever.
“You look me in the eyes. I never ever drunk after a Thursday, ever. Thursday night, no, seriously, I never done it.
“I was too scared in case it made me play rubbish.”
