- Man City beat Southampton
- One week until next fixture
- Time off granted
Pep Guardiola has made a decision to prioritise rest ahead of Manchester City’s next Premier League match against Everton.
Manchester City have a lot of work to do in order to secure a domestic treble at the end of this season.
Although there is only a month of action remaining, the Citizens have six fixtures to fulfil including a cup final.
This means that while being prepared is important, Pep Guardiola has to ensure his team have enough energy to deliver a strong finish.
Pep Guardiola grants Man City players three rest days
In order to avoid burnout, Guardiola has opted to grant his players a three-day break from training, after City’s 2-1 win over Southampton.
The players will not be under any strict guidelines during their time away, but being back at the Etihad Campus by midweek is essential.
"They can do whatever they want" 🤷
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 27, 2026
Man City manager Pep Guardiola has urged his players to have as much rest as possible ahead of their final few fixtures of the season 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/L3Gf2qevPs
Guardiola said in his post-match press conference: “They can do whatever they want. If they want to travel wherever, yeah. They are completely free, as long as they arrive Wednesday afternoon to training, it’s fine.
“I learnt in this country as much days off, the team plays better. People believe as much you train you’ll play better, and it’s completely the opposite.
“You have to train, of course, [but] you have to arrive fresh in the moment of the game. I’ve learnt that since I arrived. In the beginning I trained a lot. Now, home, and quality time.”
Guardiola will need his whole squad
Even with a few days of rest, Man City have a large number of games to play in a relatively short space of time.
Therefore, Guardiola will need his whole squad to be up for a fight, as City look to beat Arsenal to the Premier League title.
Calling City’s upcoming schedule ‘terrible’, Guardiola added: “That’s why I need them [the squad]. In the last weeks, playing regularly the same team, I need the squad, we need all of them – better or worse, it doesn’t matter, because we will need it.
“You cannot play this amount of games, every three days with the same players – not possible. You have to manage good substitutions, everyone has to make a step forward. Of course, I’ll demand more from some, I want more and more and more.”
Man City have an advantage
Luckily for City, their next match is not for another week, as they will be taking on Everton in a rare Monday night fixture.
This makes it possible for the players to rest, while also returning with plenty of time to train for their trip to Merseyside.
Additionally, with the Sky Blues looking a bit off the pace last Saturday, some time off should do them a world of good.
